Corollary
by ChipFest
Summary: *!Hiatus!* :ZUTARA: When Sokka acts on his 'instincts' Zuko is thrown in jail then disappears, leading the rest of the world to believe he is dead... including Katara! Will they find the way back to each other, or is all hope lost? post 3.15
1. 1 What Sokka Saw

**Disclaimer: A:TLA don't belong to me. I only own my show horses, and my show gear. I dont even have a job ;D**

**Welcome to my first, and probably only story I will ever write! I have no idea how long this story will take, I only have a basic plot written down for it, but I am pretty pleased with my ideas. Before anyone asks, this will be a Zutara fic! _May_ put something else in, but I want it to be a surprise...**

**Some points about the Story:**

**All events before and including the Firebending Masters have happened- other than that its pretty AU. This is probably about�6 months after that.**

**Sozins Comet wont be coming for another 2 years.**

**Ages; Aang 13, Toph 13, Katara 15, Sokka 16, Zuko 17...Iroh? Just really old...lol**

**If anyone would like to edit and help me improve my story as it goes on, feel free to offer. I may call upon you every now and then to help, especially with ideas�:D**

Chapter One- What Sokka Saw

Sokka stood beneath a large oak tree. He was rooted to the spot, his eyes captivated by the scandal he had recently stumbled upon. In response wanted to charge into the clearing and separate Zuko from his sister, but at the same time he desperately wished he could tear his eyes and run in an attempt to forget what he was seeing. Perhaps this is what he would have done if he could have foreseen what would now happen, because he stayed- the consequences of what Sokka saw. But Sokka was no psychic, and this was no ordinary occurrence! 

If Sokka could have taken control of his senses he would have found peace in this little clearing. A small river- or maybe it was more like a large stream- flowed through the forest. Large boulders created twists and turns in the flow of the water, and the soft, cream coloured sand of the river bank created a serene clearing on the side of the river. The gentle sounds of flowing water became a distant memory as Sokka observed the horror that was before him.

Katara stood, pinned between a large boulder and the banished Fire Nation Prince. He had both her wrists in one hand, trapping them above her head, while the other hand was supporting his weight on the boulder, allowing him to lean closer to the waterbender. She was dressed only in her undergarment, her robe and pants lazily discarded by the stream. Her white wraps were a stark contrast to her dark mocha skin and revealed most of her body to the Princes eyes.

The two benders, both oblivious to the dismayed Sokka behind them, seemed to be engaging in an argument of sorts, their heated whispers not audible for Sokka's ears. Katara's face betrayed her anger towards Zuko, while he wore his trademark smirk as he visibly controlled the situation. Katara scowled as Zuko leaned in closer to whisper in her ear. Her eyes widened considerably at his words. Sokka subconsciously crept forward, somehow drawn to the pair and the scene they were partaking in, his hands mildly supporting himself on the nearby trees, his feet sliding forward over the forest floor.

Sokka's daze was broken temporarily as he stubbed his toe on a risen tree root. Momentarily he forgot where he was and what he had seen as the dull throb cursed through his foot. His glare followed the root of the tree to the trunk, then right up to the top where the clear blue sky was visible through the canopy of the forest. His glare turned to a scowl as he tentatively tried walking on his foot, only to have a sharp pain shoot up his leg.

A sudden splash reminded him why he had not being concentrating on where his feet were in the first place, and on reflex, he glanced around, only to see that Katara was no longer in the clearing, but that Zuko was staring intently into the stream. Large, circular ripples spread out across the surface of the water, soon joined by many small air bubbles indicated that the earlier splash was caused by Katara as she jumped- or was pushed- into the stream. Sokka's breath hitched in his chest as he contemplated what action he should take. Had he been in this situation 3 months ago, Sokka most likely would have charged into the clearing, jumped into the river and threatened Zuko to the high heavens for endangering his sister- stubbed toe or not. But things change. People change. And Sokka was now unable to react, whether it was consciously or not, he could not say. All he could do was watch.

He wanted to believe that Katara had just jumped in to cool off. He wanted to believe that his sister had not just been pinned so close to the Prince. And most of all, he wanted to believe that Zuko would never hurt them again. But it was a long, hard road and he was slowly beginning to doubt he could ever reach the end.

Sokka released his breath as Katara's head broke through the water and clambered onto the shore, glaring angrily at Zuko the entire time.

He was almost too distracted by his relief to notice that Katara was possessively grasping something in her hand as the stood on the sand, recovering from her swim. Zuko's smirk faded as she stood dripping wet before him, but was soon replenished as Katara grabbed for her clothes and started dressing hastily. She bent the water out of her clothing and deposited it on Zuko before pushing past him and stiffly walking off in the direction of their camp. For good measure she threw an icy glare at Zuko over her shoulder prior to completely disappearing within the forest.

Zuko watched after her for a few minutes, not bothering to 'steam' the water off his clothing. As Sokka watched, Zuko settled himself down near the stream at the point where Katara had emerged from moments before. A small, lazy smile formed on his lips as he tipped his head up, his eyes becoming half closed. Perhaps he was thinking about the sparingly dressed waterbender who had just left his sight.

After what seemed like half the day, Zuko rose from his seat and started gathering driftwood from around the stream. When he felt he had enough, he casually started heading back to the camp as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. That he hadn't just been arguing with Katara. Or she had not been pinned between a boulder and himself. Nor did he seem concerned that she had dived into the water to escape his eyes. Or even that she had been very angry with him as she had started back to camp.

Nope. Zuko walked off as if nothing had happened at all. Little did he know that his actions weren't only seen by Katara, but also by her over protective brother.

If only Zuko had known how scandalous the whole incident had seemed to Sokka. Maybe then he could have prevented what would unfurl in the next couple of weeks.

Sokka slumped against the tree and contemplated what had just happened in front of him. He replayed it again and again, each time trying to imagine an innocent scenario. A scenario that explained how Katara had been pinned by Zuko, why she had ended up in the water, and why she had been so upset with the Prince. But the more he thought about it, the more he convinced himself that Katara had not wanted to be in that position. And That Zuko had done something terrible to tick her off. Alas, the clear explanation for Sokka was the Zuko was harassing his sister.

At this conclusion, Sokka frowned.

He wasn't as thick as he had led everyone to believe. He had seen the hungry look of lust the Prince had as his eyes had raked over Katara when she had stood dripping wet, her white undergarments semi transparent from the water. Zuko had masked it easily from Katara with a well practised smirk. But Sokka knew that look, and he knew teenaged boys.

Sokka sighed as he stood up and rubbed his temples. His head was tired from the last few minutes of thinking. A quick glance at the sky told him it was midday.

_Time for lunch!_ Sokka almost grinned, then remembered what he had just been thinking about. Yes. He was definitely going to keep a closer eye on the banished Fire Nation Prince- he had been much too lenient in the past.

Sokka started hurrying back to camp, his thoughts on finding Zuko.

His thoughts were soon interrupted by a loud gurgle form his stomach.

_But Zuko can wait. Right now I need something to eat!_

Oh yes. The consequences of What Sokka Saw.

�

**A/N: Ok. This is the first story I have ever written! Yay, Go Me! So no flames, please!**

**I would LOVE to get heaps of reviews, and, by all means, feel free to criticise�and suggest in your reviews!**

**Ahhh...what else...? I should be able to update before Easter, but no promises.**

**Soooo. Please Read N Review!**


	2. 2 Perception

**Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender is…not…mine -cringe- but on a brighter note, I did just buy a whole lots of the dvds…!**

**Here is the second chapter. I know it is about 4 times longer than the first chapter, but I really needed to get this out of the way to move on with the story line. It is very important for the later chapters…soooo…enjoy :D**

Chapter Two- Perception

_Earlier that day…_

The bending spar had so far being friendly, but Zuko wanted more. He craved a challenge, nothing had even come close lately and he was starting to have withdrawals. His competitive side wanted, nay, needed to be unleashed. That was why Zuko had asked Katara to spar with him. He knew he could easily get her to rise to the occasion more easily than the Avatar, and Toph just didn't cut it for him.

"Come on, Katara!" Zuko shouted across the clearing to his waterbending opponent as he directed a wall of fire towards her.

"You are going to have to lift your game to beat me!" He smirked as a new fire came into her eyes at his taunting. 

Katara grunted in reply and viciously moved her hands in stronger movements around her body.

Oh, how he loved to get her all worked up, to see that fire and determination sparkle in her eyes.

He held nothing but admiration and love for Katara, and could only hope that she felt somewhat similar in return. Although the two had been 'courting' for a few weeks now, they were taking things slowly in awareness of the war. Zuko became mesmerised by the way her body flowed with the water as she manipulated it, her eyes bright and her mouth set in concentration. His eyes scanned her body, taking in her beautiful curves and slender figure, covered only by her white under garments she used for sparring. But her hair was something to behold. In their quite times with each other, Zuko would simply run his hands through her chocolate tresses, revelling in the soft feel between his fingers, and the faint, sweet odour that coated his fingers.

They hadn't told the rest of the Gaang yet. Both feeling that there was plenty of time before they lost the freedom they currently had from Sokka. Her ridiculous brother hadn't even had suspicions so far, which was a miracle considering they were hardly cold to each other when they were around anyone else. If anything, they lightly flirted all day. And as for Aang, Zuko seriously doubted that the avatar would even entertain the idea. The monk was too oblivious to affairs of the heart to toy with such an idea. Sure, the avatar was gentle and so forth, but his duty to protect the world prevented him loving just one person as Zuko loved Katara.

His moment of muse was soon over as a large wave of water towered over his body. Zuko's eyes widened as he glanced towards Katara. Her hands raised, ready to dump the water on him. Having no time to react, Zuko quickly protected his head with his arms- a subtle sign of surrender. He took one last pleading look at Katara, knowing she was smirking at him, enjoying her victory. His body roughly hit the ground and he rolled, as he had been taught to prevent any injury. When the water dispersed from around him, he remained still. Keeping his breathing light, his devious mind conjured up a quick plan that would perhaps allow him to win this spar after all. A brief flicker of his eyelid allowed him to check what Katara was doing. Her eyes were wide as she waited for him to rise and resume the fight, and her hand found its way to her mouth in worry.

"…Zuko…?" Katara's soft voice floated towards him. She was trying to stay calm, but he could hear the underlying worry in her voice.

"Zuko?" she asked again. He remained still. "Are…Are you Ok?' Still Zuko did not reply.

It was taking all of his concentration not to burst out laughing, but he stubbornly remained were he was. He would soon get his due.

If only he could have foreseen how this would all turn out.

Slowly, Katara walked toward Zuko.

_What have I done?_ She questioned herself. She had noticed a brief lapse of concentration in Zuko's eyes, and had decided to take advantage of it.

_I knew I shouldn't have taken the bait. That last attack was too strong for him._ The thought making the corners of her mouth turn up a bit at the irony.

She quickly scolded herself as she reached Zuko's side and knelt beside his shoulder. She placed one had on his shoulder, and one on his cheek, gently jiggling his body gently in an attempt to wake him. He did not stir. Her thumb rubbed his cheek just under his eyelid, then moved to his eye brow continually rubbing his face. She knew that this soothed him, her gentle touch on his face, as though her hand could wipe away all the worry of the day, and allowed him to escape his past. To just be Zuko.

Her eyes started to water at his lack of movement, and quickly scanned his body for any injury. But he seemed fine physically.

"Come on, Zuko." She whispered, her voice breaking. "Please be Ok!" She now had tears streaming down her cheeks, dripping onto his neck as she leaned over him.

Zuko almost sighed contentedly at Katara's warm caress of his face, but the feeling soon dissipated and he felt warm moisture on his neck.

_Was she _Crying_? Had he taken this act too far?_ Another flicker of his eye confirmed his suspicions. Katara knelt over him, her face streaked with tears, her hands gripping him stubbornly, almost as though she was trying to keep his life inside of him. He moaned. He hadn't meant to make her cry, just worried. He opened his eyes and looked at his girlfriend. She had her eyes squeezed shut, perhaps trying to prevent more tears from coming. He raised one of his hands and placed it on her cheek.

"Hey." He croaked. "What's the matter?"

Katara's eyes flew open and she gasped, both her hands going to either side of his face. She leant down and rested her forehead against his, still crying slightly.

"Don't ever, ever scare me like that again!" she sniffed. Zuko chuckled and slowly sat up, pulling her on to his lap and wrapping his arm around her waist, while the other rubbed her back as she leant into him. Her own arms snaked around his neck, absent-mindedly playing with his hair at the back of his neck and she rested her head on his chest.

"I'm sorry." He murmured into her hair, breathing in the sweet scent as he nuzzled her neck. "I didn't mean to nap for so long…" He jested, trying to get her to laugh. He felt her shake slightly and saw a small smile when he pulled back to look at her.

Zuko's hand reached up to wipe the residue of her tears off her face, and she closed her eyes under his contact, shivering slightly. He smiled at her, loving her reaction to his touch. He drew her closer and placed light kisses on her face, covering her cheeks, eyes, forehead and ears before moving lower, towards her mouth. Her arms tightened around his neck as his lips found hers, pulling him closer to her. Zuko readily responded to her, and they fell onto the sand, Zuko hovering over Katara. His hands ran along her sides, while hers caressed his back, both lost in the moment. Katara whimpered as Zuko lifted his lips from hers and looked down, smiling tenderly at her. Her breath hitched in her chest as she looked into his golden eyes, losing herself in his gaze. She lovingly stroked his cheek as they just lay there. There was no need to do anything, the love they both felt radiated from their eyes and was easily seen by the other.

This was how Katara wanted to be for the rest of her life. Happy, loved, cherished…and whole. She wanted to be able to wake up everyday next to Zuko, to fool around with him and to have his children with him. She loved him- body and soul.

"I love you." She involuntarily whispered to him. At his shocked expression, she widened her eyes, realising what she just said and sucked in a sharp breath, her hand covering her mouth.

Zuko sat up in shock. Katara still lay on the ground, squeezing her eyes shut she was unmoving, preparing herself for his reaction. Slowly a lazy smirk crossed Zuko's face. Surprisingly though, it wasn't one of arrogance, but contentment. Slowly he leaned back down, covering Katara with his body and nuzzled her neck.

"Katara…" he breathed. She tensed, waiting for him to continue as she carefully repositioned her arms around Zuko's neck. He pulled back slightly, to look into her eyes, their noses grazing each others. In her eyes he saw anticipation, and a glimmer of…fear? Though she had nothing to be worried about. Zuko didn't doubt his love for her, but was lost as to how to explain the enormity, the complexity of it to her.

"You have no idea…" he trailed off when he saw the regret in her eyes. He furrowed his brow in confusion. _What was she regretful about?_ He questioned himself. _Could it be she _doesn't_ love me after all…?_

Zuko kissed her lightly on the lips needing the reassurance, the action sending shock waves through his body. He suppressed the urge to moan as her left her lips to continue this mission that she started him on. _Why is it so god damn hard to say these few words!_ He wondered, nearing frustration.

He closed his eyes and breathed, calming himself. Katara's arms started to slacken at his slow response and her eyes avoided his gaze. She chewed nervously on her lip and mentally kicked herself for being so impulsive.

"Zuko," she started timidly, meeting his gaze. "You don't have to…" she looked away again and fiddled with her hands. She started to sit up, but Zuko didn't allow her more than a few inches off the ground, pressing her shoulders back down with one hand.

"Please, Katara. I must say this…" he pleaded, taking another deep breath and deciding to just get it over with.

"You have no idea…how long I have wanted to say this" Zuko started, looking at Katara's downcast eyes. "Please look at me…please?" he asked when she continued to avoid his gaze. He lifted a hand to caress her cheek. "Katara, I love you more than you could ever know." He finished. Her eyes snapped up to his, not quite registering what he had said. As Zuko's words sunk in her eyes widened and a shy grin spread across her face.

"Really?" she said softly, raising her arms to his neck.

Zuko nodded, smiling widely.

"Really." He said firmly. "I really love you."

Katara pulled her lips up to meet his, quickly igniting a passion they had seldom shared in their romancing. Her hands raked over his body, exploring her prince, his hands almost mirroring her movements along her body. Her tongue delicately prodded at his lips, and he parted them for her. The meeting of their tongues sending shocks down both their backs, Katara moaning slightly at the feeling.

Katara pulled back, once again looking into his eyes. Slowly tears started forming in her eyes and she glanced away. Zuko frowned and stroked her cheek, wiping away her tears as they dripped.

"What's the matter, Katara?" Zuko questioned gently.

Katara shook her head. "Nothing" She stated, smiling weakly.

Zuko looked at her disbelievingly. "No. It's not nothing! Why are you crying?" he insisted. Sitting up, he pulled her back onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her.

"Please tell me." He pleaded as he rocked gently and rubbed her back, remembering how it soothed her.

"It's nothing…" she started, but reconsidered when she saw the determined look on Zuko's face. He would just keep prying until he found out anyway.

"It's just that…before, when we were sparring…" he looked at her encouragingly. "And you were hurt by me…my own fault" her voice cracked and new tears formed in her eyes.

"I could have lost you, Zuko. And I would never have been able to tell you how I felt, or discovered how you felt…I don't know what I would've done!" she finished, tears now streaming down her face. She looked down at her hands in her lap.

Zuko couldn't help but chuckle a little at this. Katara frowned. "What?" she questioned suddenly, annoyed at him for laughing at her. "Why are you laughing? It's not funny!" She insisted.

Zuko chuckled again. "Well. Actually it is quite funny." Katara placed her hands on her hips, frowning at him.

"Tell me Zuko. Why is it so funny!" she all but yelled in frustration.

"Alright, alright" Zuko quickly agreed. He didn't want to make her more upset. "I was just pretending to be hurt so that you would not ….be so…smug, I guess…about winning the spar." He winced, unsure of how she would take it.

Her face quickly turned to anger. "You what!" she yelled. "You let me worry that whole time. You let me cry over nothing!" she spat out angrily at him, poking his chest for emphasis. Katara stood up and glared down at Zuko, stubbornly refusing to let go of her anger as she took in his shocked expression. Clearly he had not expected her to react the way she was. In the back of her mind, she knew she was over reacting, that it wasn't that big of a deal, and that he wouldn't have been able to predict how upset she had gotten anyway. But for some reason she didn't let go.

Zuko stood and held his hands out to her, palms up- silent plea for her to calm down and come back to sit with him.

"Well, it wasn't nothing, really" one of his hands rubbing the back of his neck "it _did_ hurt!" Zuko almost whined out the last few words as Katara didn't seem to be getting any closer to forgiving him.

Katara looked at him incredulously, shook her head and turned away from him. "Unbelievable!" she muttered, walking over to the stream and gazing into the water.

Warm arms wrapped around her middle, holding her close. Zuko leant his head down to talk into her ear.

"I'm sorry, Katara." He said gently. "I didn't realise you would get so upset." He turned her around in his arms to look at her. She was still frowning. Zuko tried to smile at her but it ended up more like a grimace, as he waited for her to respond.

Katara snorted. "Whatever, Zuko. I really shouldn't expect anything less from you." She replied with a shrug. She wasn't letting him off that easily.

Zuko pulled back at her harsh comment.

"I mean, all you ever think about is yourself. You never let me win a spar, and if I even get close…" she gestured around, and to the now dry tears on her face. "This is where I end up."

Zuko did not like where this conversation was heading, and could feel his body responding in anger. Had he known the future, Zuko would have calmed down and took Katara's harsh words. But without that knowledge, Zuko automatically responded in anger.

"Well, Katara, you aren't exactly little miss perfect either!" he growled, letting go of her to throw his hands in the air.

"There are things that _you_ don't let other people enjoy!"

"Oh yeah! Like what?" Katara challenged. But Zuko was beyond listening.

"Mine is sparring. So what? So what if I like to win? That doesn't make me a monster!"

"I never said you were a monster, Zuko." Katara said quickly, realising she had pushed her boyfriend too far, and he was not going to calm down quickly.

Zuko continued his rant. "Now, my father. Want to meet a monster? Go see him. I am sure he would _love_ to meet you. A pretty little thing like you, Katara, would be a concubine to him before the night was through…" Katara gasped. Zuko was going too far, and he wasn't going to sit back and take it.

"Well…Mister…'no one else is perfect'! I'll have you know that I would be able to put up a fair fight."

Zuko scoffed. "Yeah, right! A low life peasant like you wouldn't be able to last five minutes against _any_ Fire Lord!" he towered over Katara, leaning into her face.

Katara subconsciously leaned back. She had never seen Zuko this angry, even when he had been chasing them around the world. Now she was at a loss for words.

"…" she opened her mouth to respond, but nothing surfaced. She was really grasping at straws here. This could not turn out well.

"Come on, miss know-it-all. What's your excuse for being born in the blandest place on earth?" Zuko bellowed out at her. "You know that the Fire Nation would never accept you in any form of leadership, right? There is just no way! And your mother would be ashamed of you if you lived there anyway-" He stopped suddenly.

In the back of his mind, Zuko knew he had just taken this argument too far, and stepped back.

Now it was Katara's turn to blow up.

"What!" she screeched, her face redder than the Fire Nation Palace in summer. She wagged her finger at him. "Oh, no. you did not just say that."

She held his gaze, daring him to say something…anything. He didn't. Katara's gaze narrowed and Zuko prepared desperately looked around, searching for something, anything that could prevent the rest of this grim argument. His eyes settled on her neck. Her mother's necklace was not sitting there, as she often took it off to spar. He quickly glanced around and saw it sitting on her outer robe and pants.

Just as Katara opened her mouth Zuko darted off to the items and snatched the necklace. Katara was now very confused. Quickly walking past her he stopped near the stream and held the necklace out over the stream ready to drop it in.

Katara gasped. "Zuko…" she started before he held his hand up to silence her.

"Katara. I don't want to drop this, but I will if you don't quit yelling at me." He huffed.

Katara's hands went to her hips, and she narrowed her gaze at him. "You wouldn't."

Zuko smirked. "Oh, yes. I really would."

Katara pursed her lips. "Fine. You don't want me to yell? I won't. But I am _not_ losing this argument just because you got lucky and picked up my mothers necklace. At least I _have _something to remember my mother by. What do you have? Nothing"

Zuko gaped at her. Now he wished he had just let her keep yelling. This was too hard for him.

"What…?" he asked quietly, dreading the response but needing to ask. "What do you mean, Katara?"

Katara was on a new rant. One not emphasised by yelling, but by her eyes…by disappointment, and sadness. And that, for some reason was much, much worse.

"You are so damn selfish. You never even talk about your mother, Zuko. I don't even know her name, when she died, why she died…" she trailed off. "I talk about my mother all the time. It keeps her memory alive, keeps my love for her alive."

Zuko didn't like where this was headed. His mother was a touchy subject for him to contemplate on his own, let alone share with someone else!

Katara narrowed her eyes for the final blow. This would make or break him. "Sometimes I even wonder if you loved you mother."

Ouch. He broke.

Zuko's heart stopped. _Not love my mother…! How could she think such a thing?_

He growled. "You just took this too far, Katara." Zuko let the necklace drop.

"No!" Katara shouted. She started running towards the stream, but Zuko held her back from jumping in. Katara summoned a whip of water and glared at him.

"Do not forget who won the spar just before, Zuko." She said menacingly. Zuko grabbed her by her wrists, preventing her form bending any further, hissing at her.

"I loved my mother, Katara. I think about her all the time! Don't you _ever_ doubt it!"

Katara sneered at him, lifting her foot, and booting him in the shin. Zuko stumbled, but kept hold of her hands. He stepped closer to her, fury pouring from his eyes, she stepped back. A few steps later, Katara was pinned between a boulder and the prince, her arms held above her head. Still Zuko stepped closer to her, his eyes and body making contact with hers. The tension between the two benders climbed, neither of them willing to back off.

Zuko broke contact first, leaning in to her ear for once finding no refuge in the sweet scent of her hair. He was much too upset to care.

"If you didn't know that already, then maybe this won't work out!" he smirked at her. Katara's eyes widened and she sucked in her breath.

"What…what do you mean?" Her voice quivered ever so slightly.

"I mean" he sneered "that maybe we shouldn't be in this relationship."

Katara pursed her lips, not trusting herself to speak. How could things get this bad in a matter of minutes? She desperately needed to evacuate herself form the situation.

A slight rustling in the bushes behind them caused Zuko to slacken his grip ever so slightly, and Katara took the opportunity to wrench her wrists free and dive into the water beside them.

Surprised, Zuko watched as she disappeared into the water, her element. She stayed under for quite some time, and Zuko furrowed his brow in concern, silently chanting for her to be Ok. He watched the circular ripples where she had dived in, trying to figure out how they had got themselves into this mess. He frowned. Maybe they shouldn't be together? But at the back of his mind, he knew that they were meant to be; after all, only half an hour ago, they had both just confessed the loved between them.

Just as he was getting ready to dive in after her, Katara broke the surface of the water, gasping for air after being deprived for so long. Grasping her mothers necklace, she clambered onto the shore, catching her breathe a little before standing, directing a glare towards Zuko.

Zuko's smirk faded as he looked at her. Even with the death glare to rival any Fire Lord she was still breath taking. And now that she was wet, her white wraps had become slightly transparent, showing him more skin, and clinging to her in a very suggestive manner.

Katara noticed his stare and quickly made a grab for her clothes, scowling at Zuko. She bent the water out of her clothes and formed an orb of the liquid above Zuko. She was going to win this match, no matter what!

As she replaced her clothing she let the orb drop on Zuko, completely soaking him. She smirked at his glare and stormed off towards camp. It was almost lunch time anyway.

Zuko stood for a moment, scowling after her retreating form. He sighed and turned towards the stream. Sitting himself on the edge, he lazily dragged a finger through the water where Katara had emerged moments before. He smiled at the image of her standing before him, completely soaked.

If she had been a firebender, she would have had steam rising from every part of her body.

Damn, she was sexy when she was mad. He tipped his head up, closing his eyes half way as he basked in the sun.

His own element, fire, was ignited and fuelled by the sun. Fiery and passionate, the sun blazed down from the sky during the day, being merciless to all beneath it.

Water, on the other hand was calming, soothing. At night, the moon gave waterbenders an advantage, while the element itself provided refuge and relief from what the sun had scorched during the day.

How different their elements were. Yet they couldn't live without the other. The sun provided warmth and light during the day, while the water provided a haven when needed, and quenched thirst in hot weather. The moon rose to give relief form the sun, allowing life to rest and prepare for a new day.

Like this, neither he nor Katara could live without the other. Especially not now they had been with each other. They could work their way through this mess that much Zuko was sure of!

Feeling slightly better, Zuko rose and started to gather some driftwood. He might as well pick up some seeing as Sokka was less than helpful when it came to chores. And Katara always appreciated input- really she worked too hard around camp.

Zuko would pretend nothing had happened that morning. He would go on like they always had been. As though they had never sparred, like he had never faked being injured, or that they had told each other their love. And especially that they had never fought.

And everything would go on as normal. It was just a matter of perception, really. To Zuko, some things had been said that perhaps shouldn't have been. But if he remembered correctly, the score had been pretty much even.

If only Zuko had realised that Katara's perception of the incident was slightly different to his. That Sokka had been watching the argument.

Perhaps then he could have stopped the chain of events that had been triggered. But really, no matter what, things were going to get a lot worse than they were.

Among the three young witnesses,their different perceptions made all the difference.

**Phew! See what I mean! Long chapter. Ahhh…would LOVE some constructive/critical reviews! So R'N'R!**

**Dunno when the next chapter will be up. Sometime in the next week, I suppose.**

**Cheerio!**

\/p


	3. 3 What It Means

**Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender doesn't belong to me, but I am taking my shot gun and doing something about it atm… will let you know how it works out :D**

**A/N: I really struggled to write this chapter, mostly because with the school holidays my family was home all day everyday and I had no time to think properly about the story and where it was going and partly because I wasn't sure how to go about the middle pages. I had a chapter three version done on the weekend, but when I re-read it, the plot didn't fit for where I wanted the story to go. So I practically deleted the whole thing and started again. Bummer, eh? So sorry about the wait. Hope you enjoy!**

Chapter Three- What it Means (based on the song by Jeremy Campstay)

Later that evening…

"…Zuko?" Surprised to see him still up, Katara tentatively walked over to stand behind the Fire Prince. He was sitting in front of the small campfire, the flames casting gentle hues of orange, red and yellow across his form. Everyone else had long since gone to sleep, and Katara had tossed and turned for a good hour, but sleep somehow managed to evade her.

He thoughts were filled not with the dire events of the morning, but Zuko's behaviour since then. He had not been cold to her like she expected, nor had they continued their light flirting. He had been…civil, and almost friendly…

It was strange for Katara to think that the argument they had earlier had not affected him. Because she knew it had. Why else would he get so worked up about it, then suggest that heinous idea that they should break up. She didn't want to break up with him, so the only option left was to confront him about it.

Katara was nervous about questioning him, but there was no other way to find out what he was thinking. Clearly his pride kept him from approaching her, so as usual; it was up to her to pry it out of him. In a way she didn't mind. He wouldn't be Prince Zuko if he didn't have so much pride, but at times like this it was infuriating. She wanted him to feel comfortable to drop his pride around her and just be Zuko, her boyfriend.

Zuko turned his head to look at her. "Hey…" he responded gently to her and motioned for her to join him. As soon as she sat, he wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. She pressed up against his warm body and laid her head on his shoulder out of habit, before remembering why she couldn't sleep.

She wrung her hands nervously, gathering the courage to start her questioning.

"Zuko…about earlier… I'm sorry." she paused, unsure of how to go on.

"Forget about it." he whispered, nuzzling her neck.

Katara pushed him away, resisting the urge to give in, determined to get what she wanted out of him.

"Zuko" she huffed "We should talk about this…"

Zuko pouted at her. "C'mon Katara," he crooned "you should know how much I hate talking…"

"yes, but this is important!" She kept contact with his eyes, showing him he wasn't going to get out of this conversation.

"…"

"…"

Zuko sighed. "Fine. What do you want to know?"

Katara looked down, once again nervous. After a moment of silence she looked back up at him, her face now a picture of calm.

"Did you mean what you said earlier?"

He looked at her, surprised. "Does it look like that to you?" he asked, gesturing to his arm around her waist. She shook her head and sighed.

"Not that part…we both said things that we didn't mean…" Katara chewed her lip, thinking of one sentence in particular that had been bothering her.

_"You know that the Fire Nation would never accept you in any form of leadership…if you lived there…"_

Zuko shifted beside her, turning to look at her, waiting for her to go on.

Katara sighed, deciding to bite the bullet and just ask. "You said that the Fire Nation wouldn't want me in leadership… and made a reference to me living there…" she trailed off, glancing away quickly before returning her gaze to his face.

Now it was Zuko's turn to look away. He barely even remembered saying that. After all, the whole conversation had been very heated. But it held some truth in it. He wanted Katara to rule beside him as Fire Lady when he became Fire Lord, but he had never imagined asking her like this. He was still only 17, and she was 15. Both benders needed to be a year older before a marriage could be arranged. Then there was still all the political garbage they needed to put up with. Zuko knew this would be hard for the Fire Nation to accept, but he had faith in his people, in his nation. Zuko turned back to her.

"I didn't mean for you to be asked this way…" Zuko started. He was going to tell her what was on his mind for once in his life. He wanted to be comfortable telling her everything, but it was just so hard. Something's were hard enough to admit to himself, let alone anyone else.

He took her hands in his, gazing down at their clasped hands.

"Katara, when I become Fire Lord, I want you there with me. To help me rule the Fire Nation, to help mend the rift my ancestors have caused between the three remaining nations, to make my life happy." he smiled slightly, looking up to see her eyes tearing slightly.

"Will you marry me and become my Fire Lady?" Katara sucked in a breath and looked at him, surprised.

"Zuko…I am not even of marrying age, and neither are you…" She pointed out.

Zuko smiled slightly at her and shrugged. "I know. That was why you weren't supposed to find out yet… I will ask again when we are old enough."

Katara smiled tiredly and rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes. "I'd like that very much…" She mumbled. Zuko sighed contentedly and waited until he heard her breathing even out as she drifted off to sleep before placing her on her bed roll and drifting off himself.

Sokka had been watching Zuko very closely for the last few days. But no matter how hard he tried, he was unable to find any dirt on the Firebender. Katara had even been friendly towards him, acting as though nothing had happened. And this was starting to frustrate him. He knew something was up…his instincts told him so. And his instincts were rarely wrong, and were even less likely to be wrong when it came to his sister's safety.

He had been left behind with Aang to pack up the camp while the girls had snuck off to bathe before they left. He had no idea where Zuko had gone, but assumed he was off training if the smoke and occasional flashes of fire through the trees was anything to go by.

They had been camping in this forest for a week now, and the time to leave couldn't have come sooner for Sokka. Which was partially why he didn't complain as much as usual when he had been left to pack up. The Water Tribe Warrior had been getting strange feelings lately that something bad was going to happen soon, and he really didn't want to stick around to find out.

"I'm off to take a leak…" He called out as they finished loading the last of the supplies onto Appa. Aang just smiled and gave him a small wave in acknowledgement.

Sokka didn't really need to pee. What he needed was a few peaceful moments on his own to mull over a few thoughts.

The thing was, as much as Sokka didn't like Zuko, Aang needed him for his training. Sure Sozin's comet wasn't for a while, but benders often took a lifetime to become masters of their element, and even then there is the risk of slipping up. The problem was that Aang really needed Zuko and Sokka couldn't sacrifice his training because his instincts told him something bad was going to happen. After all, they had been wrong before. He sat down on a log for a few minutes, just relaxing before he had to put up with 4 others on Appa for an indefinite number of hours.

When Sokka stepped back into the clearing, he was met with a sight he had definitely no expected to see. A woman was in the clearing, knife in one hand and sword in the other. She had numerous other weapons on her person, but Sokka recognised the sword as a type to hide poison in. A type for assassins. Aang was bent over slightly in front of the woman, panting, sweating, and tired. He looked up and saw Sokka standing there. Relief flooded his young features and he heaved himself upright again, keeping the advancing assassin's attention on him as she had not yet noticed Sokka.

Sokka took his sword from its sheath and crept up behind the woman. Just as she was about to take a swing at Aang, he drew the sword back and plunged it into the girls upper back, close to her heart. She choked, and staggered forward a few steps before slumping to the ground as Sokka withdrew his sword. Sokka ran to Aang, making sure he was ok before storming over to the woman on the ground.

"What are you doing here?" Sokka demanded, roughly shaking the assassins shoulders. The woman smirked weakly at him.

"He said he would protect me. Make sure that no one else was around."

Her head rolled back and she closed her eyes as her breathing noticeably became more difficult.

"That bastard of a Prince!" she whispered, her smile fading as she took her last breath.

Sokka glanced at Aang, seeing his own shocked expression mirrored on the young avatars face.

"Did she just say…?" Aang gulped, not needing to finish his question.

Sokka nodded slowly. "I think that my…instincts were right for once."

They looked at each other, then down at the assassin.

"Amazing."

After the initial surprise had worn off Sokka's mind ticked over. The pieces started to fall into place.

"Hey Aang…" Sokka started. "Why do you think that Zuko wanted to train now, rather than helping to pack up?"

Aang looked at him, confused, not quite sure where Sokka was headed with this and shrugged.

"While he knew Katara and Toph were going to take a long soak in the water before we left…?" Aang's eyes widened as he also began to put it all together.

"That left you practically alone…seeing as I don't bend an element…"

"Sokka, do you think…Zuko did this…?" Aang asked. His eyes were wide and pleading. Begging Sokka to disagree with him and defend his firebending teacher.

Sokka didn't have to say anything. His opinion was written in eyes, and Aang slowly nodded.

"What are we going to do, then?"

Zuko was feeling better today. Its not as though he had been unwell, just that today was better. His talk a few nights ago with Katara had put him in a constant, and uncharacteristic good mood. He could tell he was starting to freak everyone out by it. Sokka and Aang had nearly keeled over when he had laughed at one of Toph's insults towards him this morning, and his helpfulness around camp had everyone wondering what was going on with him. Everyone except Katara, that was. So he had decided to train then meditate alone for a while. Katara had wanted to come with him, but he had suggested she take Toph to the stream for a good soak before they left that afternoon. He belatedly realised that in doing that he had left only Aang and Sokka to pack up the camp. He shrugged it off. They were perfectly capable of packing up, and he was sure they would be relieved to be free of his absence for a while. Sokka had been on his back lately… and he couldn't figure out why.

Perhaps he's starting to realise the mutual attraction between myself and Katara… He pondered on the thought for a moment, amused at the overprotective brother.

Glancing at the sky, Zuko suddenly realised he had been out for longer than he had wanted to be.

He stretched out his muscles as he stood and started walking back towards camp.

As he parted the last few branches leading into the clearing, he could see the Gaang discussing a matter in hushed tones, and from their expressions he could tell it wasn't about where to take pit stops on their way to the Northern Water tribes.

He touched Katara's shoulder lightly. "Hey, what's going on?"

Her eyes widened, a shocked expression on her face. "Zuko…" she whispered.

He frowned. What the hell was going on here?!

The rest of the group turned, startled to see him arrive.

"Well, if it isn't the Fir Prince." Sokka stated. "We didn't expect you to show your face again so soon."

"Sokka… what are-" Zuko was cut off by Aang.

"Don't play coy, Zuko. You know exactly what we are talking about!" His eyes were narrowed as he glared at his firebending teacher, anger radiated from every inch of his body. A glance around the group showed them all in the same state, save Katara. He looked to her and she held his gaze, the tears in her eyes mixing with sadness, hurt and… betrayal?

Zuko was now very confused. What were they all so angry about?!

"I wish you would tell me what's going on here…" Zuko said.

Sokka nodded at the rest of them and they parted, showing a woman's body on the ground, dead.

Zuko looked at them quizzically.

"She was an assassin sent to kill Aang." Sokka stated. "Don't you know her, Zuko?"

Quietly, Zuko walked over to the woman and gasped upon seeing her face.

"Chace" he whispered, his voice barely audible, squeezing his eyes shut. "No…no…" Zuko knelt down next to her and rested his head in his hands, unable to look at the girl or his companions.

Sokka spoke "Do you deny knowing her?" Zuko shook his head.

"She said you were to protect her." Zuko nodded.

"I promised her." he whispered, raising his head to look at the small group. "And I didn't…"

Sokka looked pointedly at Toph. "Take him down."

She cracked her knuckles before encasing the boy in earth. He had just confirmed what the assassin had said before her death.

"You, Prince Hothead, are going to a nice cosy prison in Ba Sing Sae." Toph said to Zuko. He watched as the Gaang left to prepare themselves for the trip, in his haze of shock and overwhelming emotion, Zuko vaguely heard that Toph and Sokka would be 'escorting' the Fire Nation Prince to the Earth Kingdom, leaving Katara and Aang to go ahead somewhat on Appa. They would all meet up later.

A gentle hand touched his shoulder, and he looked up to meet blue eyes and a small smile.

"Zuko…" Katara whispered, pain noticeably present in her voice. Her hand reached up to cup his cheek. Zuko closed his eyes, revelling in her touch.

"I believe in you," she whispered quietly to him, leaning her forehead on his. Zuko let out a breath of relief.

"Thankyou." he said simply, and smiled wanly at her. She returned the gesture, and hugged him.

"I still love you…" she whispered in his ear, tears flowing down her cheeks. Zuko nodded, on the brink of tearing himself, but he couldn't. Not with the others only a few yards away.

"Love you too." he murmured. She drew in a ragged breath and leaned back to look him in the eyes. He needed her to kiss him, she needed to kiss him. They could see it in the others eyes.

Katara leaned in and brushed her lips against his, the light feathery kiss sending chills down her spine. Zuko dipped his head again, and touched his lips to hers again, this time lingering for longer, lasting a few seconds. How he wanted to hold her, to feel her body pressed up against hers again. But he couldn't. Even with her hugging him now, the stony prison prevented contact between their bodies.

He moaned softly as she pulled away, wanting to keep her beside him forever.

A few nights ago, they had talked of being married, having children and growing old together. And now? All Zuko could hope for now was mercy at the hands of the Earth King. He had done a lifetime of crime against the King and had given him no reason to let him off the hook. Plus 'aiding' an assassin against the Avatar was pretty serious business.

Katara tightened her arms around his neck one last time, and he almost wished he had never joined the Avatar's Gaang and never met Katara, but deep down he knew that nothing would compare to the experiences he had had with this group, where he had felt at home and was needed, even for the short time it had been.

Sokka called out to Katara that they were ready to go.

She pulled back and looked into his eyes, memorising every detail of his face.

"Come back to me." She whispered, before walking away from him. "Please, please, come back to me…"

Katara squeezed her eyes shut, attempting to steady the flow of tears down her cheeks as she walked away and never looked back.

Zuko supposed he could have protested his innocence, declared his love for Katara, or fought them. But in the end all those things would have made him seem weak and cowardly. He had seen in their eyes the betrayal and hurt he had unknowingly place in their shoulders, but he would have been unable to displace it today, or even tomorrow. This type of pain needed a lot of time to be sorted out. He could only hope that one day they would all believe him.

What it meant was that all Zuko could do was proclaim his innocence and hope to Agni that he would be treated with mercy.

**So there it is. Chapter Three. In case you haven't noticed, I am trying to have a 'theme' for each chapter… I dunno how well it is working, but it is supposed to keep me on track while I am writing as I tend to…ahhh…veer off course when I start to write.**

**I have the next few chapters planned out in detail, so hopefully I will be able to post another in the next week!**

**BTW, I REALLY LOVE REVIEWS!! :D**

**Sooooo…. R'n'R or else I may cry…!**


	4. 4 It Just Doesn't Feel Right

**Hey all. Sorry about the slight –cough- …three weeks…-cough- delay. I really have no excuse. –winces-**

**So here is the next chapter, and the next one should be up pretty quickly as its already half written. I know that this sounds an awful lot like a movie, but it will only be for the start, promise. Btw things will get worse before they get better. You know the saying!**

**So here it is.**

Chapter Four- It just doesn't feel right

Sokka slumped against a large tree. It seemed that was all he was doing these days, slumping. Well, the last few anyway. He was mentally, physically and emotionally drained. Since witnessing the Banished Prince harassing his sister, and then the assassin only yesterday Sokka had felt like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. And he kinda was, really. Aang needed a firebending teacher, and he had just handed their only hope over to the Earth Kingdom. Maybe he didn't do the right thing.

The ground beneath him jerked to get his attention.

"Come on Snoozles!" Toph called to him. "Do you want to get back or what?!"

He groaned. "No."

Toph frowned in his direction. She was becoming increasingly concerned with Sokka's decline in the last few hours since they had handed Zuko over to the Earth Kingdom soldiers.

He hadn't even tried to pull one of his 'off the hook' jokes over her.  
So Toph gave up and sat next to him, bending a small earth tent over the both of them.

"Fine. We should get some rest then."

Sokka just shrugged and turned away. "I'm not tired."

Toph scowled and rolled her eyes. He was just acting like a child now. Seeing as beating around the bush wasn't her style, she poked his back.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" she scoffed. "Not only have you not joked in the last few hours, but you aren't tired and now, to top it all off- you haven't even asked about dinner!"

She saw Sokka's back tense and felt his heart rate speed up, but he just grunted at her. Toph growled and threw her hands up, making the small tent tremble slightly.

"Whatever. I'm going to sleep." She grumbled. This was not what she joined the Gaang for.

Sokka sighed heavily as he heard Toph's breathing even out, indicating to him that she had, in fact, fallen asleep. He sighed and lay down next to her. Sleep skilfully eluded him, as he knew it would and he found himself becoming lost in his memories of yesterday.

CueFlashback

He and Aang stood over the assassins' body, wondering what the hell to do about her.  
"Well…" Aang started. "If we confront Zuko and he confirms that he was supposed to protect her, and that he knows her…" he trailed off, not knowing what he should do if what this woman said was true.

Sokka took a breath. Aang was too young for these decisions. He would have to make it for him.  
"We should then hand him over to the Earth Kingdom." He said firmly.  
Aang just nodded. "But what do we tell the girls?"  
Sokka shook his head. He had no idea…

As rustle of bushes to the left of Sokka startled both boys as they looked at each other. Would it be the girls or Zuko? At that moment, Sokka had no idea which he would prefer.

They breathed a small sigh of relief as blue and green eyes appeared out of the foliage. The girls looked refreshed and ready to face the day after their bath. Sokka had a sudden urge to kick some dirt over the woman's body in a weak attempt to hide her from his sister and Toph. It pained him to think that soon their carefree attitude would be devoured as they all came to terms with the possible betrayal of Zuko.  
Toph was the first to speak. "Ahhh, what's wrong, guys?"

Aang looked to Sokka, who nodded, then pointed a finger towards the woman's body.  
Katara gasped and moved to be beside the body, he hands running over her, checking for signs of life. She sat back on her heels and looked up at her brother.

"She's dead." She said softly.

"Hello! Who's dead?!" Toph exclaimed. "Cant see!" she elaborated, pointing to her eyes.

Katara kept her gave on her brother, silently waiting for him to explain this turn of events.

"An assassin, sent to get Aang." He said bluntly.

Katara nodded. "Right. So what are we going to do with her? Just leave her?"

Sokka licked his lips nervously.

"There's more. Isn't there?" Toph asked him.

Sokka nodded. "She said…" he looked at Aang, who kept his gaze on the ground, unwilling to help him out. He looked to the expectant gaze of his sister and friend.

"She said that a…prince… was supposed to protect her. That Zuko would keep us out of the way."

"…what?" Katara's eyes clouded over and she fell to her knees, a blank stare on her face. Sokka knelt next to her, placing his hands on her shoulder.

"Katara…" he started, but she shrugged him off, glaring at him through narrowed eyes.

"Did she actually say that?" she questioned firmly.

Sokka sighed and nodded. "Yes."

"I don't…." Katara shook her head. "I don't believe you…" she whispered.

"I'm sorry Katara…" Sokka trailed off. What could he say?

"He wouldn't do that to us…" she murmured quietly. "Or to me…" her gaze wondered over to the woman's body. "Zuko wouldn't…" Her voice hitched in her throat over the words.

Sokka's heart clenched at he pain in his baby sisters voice. He desperately wished he could have left her at home where she wouldn't have had to worry about things like this. It was almost too much for his protective heart to bear and he fought off a prickle of tears behind his eyes. He had to be strong for her.

"…we will hand him over to the nearest Earth Kingdom soldiers…" Aang's voice floated over to them as he explained it to Toph.

"He's coming."

Toph's quiet proclamation brought Katara from her little world for a moment as Sokka pulled her behind him, getting ready to face the Fire Prince.

EndFlashback

Despite Sokka's instincts being proven right, he was not proud or happy or even relieved about the way things turned out. He couldn't figure out what was wrong with him. Like Toph had so diplomatically pointed out, he hadn't exactly been himself the past few hours. But he couldn't explain why he felt so empty. Why, when he had to take Zuko away it just hadn't felt quite right. He had not always or hardly ever gotten along with the Fire Nation Prince but he had trusted him. He had let him teach the Avatar, and he did, _had_ trusted him with all their lives.

Perhaps he felt he had betrayed Zuko or, more precisely the rest of the Gaang. He was their leader- granted it was self appointed- but he felt a responsibility to protect them. To protect his sister, the Avatar and the blind earth bender who was sleeping next to him.

Perhaps it was his sister he felt he had betrayed. For her reaction to the assassin was one of pure disbelief. Sokka had not been expecting that from Katara. If he looked closely at her reaction he would come to the conclusion that his sister was genuinely in love with the firebender. Of course the Gaang had always suspected that there was something going on between them… they spent way too much time sparring one another for there to any sign of dislike between them. And the kiss they shared when Zuko was confronted only confirmed that, but Sokka did not see the love between them, and he wouldn't for a while. He would be haunted by the looks Katara would give him and the guilt in his heart, but he would push it away and try to focus on what he thought was more important.

Sokka turned over to face a sleeping Toph and sighed. He was getting no where with this muse. Although his heart was breaking with the decision, his head told him that this was a necessary betrayal and would lead the Gaang down the safest path to defeat the Fire Lord and end the war.

* * *

Katara sighed as she woke to the sun breaking over the horizon.

_Just another day without Zuko…_

It had been 3 weeks since Sokka had dragged her boyfriend off to Ba Sing Se, and she was just as heartbroken today as she had been the day he left. The loneliness and isolation she now felt within the group just became stronger every day, rather than decreasing with time. Sokka had assured her the day Zuko was taken that everything would be okay, that it was the right thing to do for the rest of the world.

But she couldn't help feel that it just wasn't right.

She slowly heaved herself up from her sleeping bag and walked towards the river to bathe. This had become her daily routine in the mornings. She woke up every morning longing for Zuko, feeling worse than the day before for not standing up for him, for letting Sokka betray him… betray _them_.  
She shook her head, causing her to stumble over a small plant. She looked down at her feet and saw a small flower, its petals started out nearly navy blue, and turned into a deep beautiful purple before splaying off into a deep maroon.  
A small droplet of water fell onto the petals as Katara took in its beauty. It was especially times like these that she missed Zuko the most. She could _almost_ understand why her brother had taken him away..._almost_. She had thought time and time again about 'that' day, and every time she changed a few facts. She told herself that Zuko didn't actually know the girl, that the assassin had said nothing against him, that he hadn't looked so sad when he saw the woman… And every time the scenario was replayed it always ended up with an innocent Zuko, a reasonable explanation… and a happy ending.

Katara would put herself to sleep with these images, and by the time she was asleep, Zuko was staying with her and promised to wake her up to watch the sunrise with him.

But every morning she would wake up on her own soon after sunrise and Zuko would be nowhere in sight.

To anyone who saw her walking along the path, Katara would look deep in thought. They would not see her broken heart, nor would they notice her sad gaze, but most of all they wouldn't see the hopelessness she felt.

Sokka approached Katara as she sat near the fire, aimlessly stirring the dinner. She looked up as he approached and gave him a wan smile. "Hey Sokka."

"Hey." He looked at the ground, drawing petty figures in the dirt with a stick.

"Ah, Katara? We need to talk."

She looked over at him. "Shoot."

"Um…. I don't really know how to say this," he caught her gaze and held it. "You haven't exactly been acting quite…right… since Zuko left."

He gaze hardened as she turned her attention back to the pot. "Of course not, how could I?" She huffed.

Sokka nervously cleared his throat. "Ah, yeah, anyway. I am starting to get a bit worried about you… a lot, actually."

"So? What's new?"

"Well, see. It's getting to the point where you are not going to be much help in a battle…" he trailed off and winced. That did not come out right.

"What?!" Katara shrieked. "You think I can't fight?"

"No. No, of course I know you can fight. That didn't come out how it was supposed to…"

He sighed. This was proving to be harder than he thought.

"I think you need to take a break from all of this." He gestured around him.

Katara stood there, shocked. They didn't want her there with them anymore. It was true she didn't feel like she belonged there lately, but this was her family, her life. She looked back a Sokka, who had returned his gaze to the ground. Maybe she could make this work in her favour. After all, she knew that the Earth Kingdom wouldn't kill Zuko. Maybe, just maybe she would get a chance to free him. Of course she had no idea where he really actually was, but hell, that didn't mean she couldn't try!

"Fine." She said to Sokka. "I was planning on getting away for a bit anyways."

Sokka let the relief show in his face and let out the breath he had been holding.

"I will leave tonight." She got up to start packing.

"…a What…tonight?!"

Katara spun around and glared at him. He didn't say anything more on the matter, just picked up the spoon and continued the stirring of the stew for her.

* * *

"Toph…?"

"Oh, hey Katara." Toph was sitting near the river and Katara was packed and ready to leave. She had already bid farewell to Aang and Sokka. There was just one more thing she needed to find out, and she already knew Sokka wouldn't spill the beans on this particular matter.

"I have a favor to ask."

"Depends what it is."

"I want to know where Zuko was taken." Toph shifted her blind gaze to Katara.

"Sorry, but I don't really know…" she started. "I mean, we handed him over at the last town. I would assume he went to Ba Sing Se…"

"Oh…I was kinda hoping for more than that." She shrugged. "I guess I will start there. Its only a week to Ba Sing Se anyways."

Toph turned back to the water. "Sorry Sugar Queen. I don't know rats about where he went."

"Yeah. Thanks anyway Toph." Katara leaned over and hugged the earthbender. "Sorry to leave you as the only girl…"

Toph laughed. "That's OK. I can keep them in order!"

"I guess I'll get going then." She stood up, and with one last look in the direction of the campsite, Katara walked along the river to Ba Sing Se.

**There it is, Chapter Four! I know it was a bit short… but this is more a 'part one' of what it was going to be before I decided to split the chapter.**

**Ah! I REALLY need some more reviews! I have over 1000 hits, and approximately 10 reviews? Something just doesn't add up here!**

**Even if it just says "Please update soon!" or similar…**

**But I would REALLY like some criticism! I have never written a story before, save for a few in High School which were under 2000 words, so I need to get a bit of an insight of what you guys really think. :D**

**So R'n'R!!**

**Cheerio! Chip**


	5. 5 The Tribe

**Hey All! I managed to get this chapter up in LESS than 3 weeks…wahoo. Huh. I will try to get the next one up quicker, but no promises. This is where the plot starts to turn into a story. I am introducing new characters, and a whole new idea into the ATLA world… I hope you can follow what I have done here, but if you cant the next chapter will explain it in a lot more detail, or you can ask in that review I KNOW you are going to write!!**

**Disclaimer: I own jack-all of ATLA, it ticks me off something chronic, but what the hell. There will always be things I don't like, eh?!**

Chapter Five- The Tribe

"_Earth will deliver what heaven desires, but peace comes at the price of bloodshed."_

_Brilliance of the Moon, Lian Hearn_

* * *

Zuko groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. Looking around he could only see darkness, but a damp, musky smell told him he was inside a prison cell. Slowly he sat up, holding his head in a hand in an unsuccessful attempt to steady the pitching and rolling that was going on inside it. He squinted through the dark before holding his hand out in front of him to call up a small flame. He frowned. No flame appeared. Zuko tried again with no success.

_They must have given me something to curb my bending…_ He thought, sighing.

Since arriving in the prison the day before, no one had paid any attention to the banished Fire Nation Prince. Though Zuko was grateful for that, he suspected that he would be 'questioned' any minute now. He was too much of a prize for the Earth King to keep him cooped up where no one would learn of his capture…or take any information from him. Zuko shivered.

He had been placed in a solitary cell away from the other prisoners. Where he was, he could only see one guard standing directly outside the dark cell. But he knew that he wasn't the only guard here. Most likely, there would be a guard every few meters or so until the prison ended.

The Prince lay back down on the cot.

_Might as well get some rest…_ He figured.

Who knew what tricks they used to question… or interrogate…their prisoners. Zuko knew little about Earth Kingdom customs, but he knew death was better than questioning by the Fire Nation and this did little to inspire his will to live at the moment.

He sighed again, rubbing his shackled hands over his face, before sliding down onto his neck to give himself a light rub, a poor attempt to relieve his tight muscles.

He admitted to himself that the situation had looked bad to the Gaang. He had known the assassin who had tried to capture Aang just days before, but it was coincidence only. He thought briefly of Chace, remembering her while she was still alive; her cheerful grin and playful smirk… And he nearly felt peaceful in the memory.

Zuko's thoughts ended abruptly as his prison door was swung open, revealing an Earth Kingdom guard, scowling at him through his uniform.

"So this is the _Prince_ of the Fire Nation!" He laughed once. "Come with me. You have been '_summoned'_…" he laughed again, opening the door wide enough to let Zuko through.

Zuko stood proudly and shuffled over to the guard as quickly as his shackled feet would let him.

The guard shoved him as he moved past. Zuko stumbled, but made no noise. He didn't want- no, he _couldn't_ give the guard the satisfaction of knowing he had gotten to him.

Oh, how he wished he could bend right now! And wipe that smug smirk off the guards face…

How ironic it was that Zuko's trademark expression was now the visible root of his dislike for the guard… a _very, very strong dislike._

* * *

Another fist collided with Zuko's jaw, sending his upper body reeling away from his centre of gravity. Despite the intense pain in his jaw, the light headed feeling in his skull and the numbness of his legs, Zuko somehow remained standing. The group of guards surrounding him roared with sadistic laughter.  
His 'summons' had turned out to be just a few -slash twelve-ish- guards wanting vengeance. They had started to lay into him almost immediately as he stepped into the interrogation room. To Zuko's slight and short lived relief he had not seen any weapons either in the room or on the guards personnel. But they seemed to be doing a pretty good job without them.

The few who were earthbenders sent regular boulders into his legs and stomach. Zuko hoped they would stop soon before he passed out. It would do no good to faint in front of the Earth Kingdom army recruits. Despite everything else, Zuko still had his pride.

Not for the first time since he had stepped into this room, Zuko wished he could fight back. But he knew that doing so would severely jeopardise his chances of convincing the Earth King he was on their side and, more importantly, his chances of becoming Fire Lord when Aang defeated his sire.

The blows kept coming to his legs, stomach, face and chest. The longer it went on, the fainter Zuko felt. He groaned and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to numb the blows as they came. Finally he could stand no more and he crumpled to the ground, the sounds of the soldier's jeers and cold hearted comments were now muffled and distant as he fell closer and closer to unconsciousness. Vaguely he heard them quieten and move away, his body leaving the floor… or was it just that he was passing out?

Right now he didn't care.

Stuff his bloody pride!

As an after thought he could barely believe that he was willing to fight his sire for these mongrels to live in peace. Hell, they didn't deserve it. But the future with him as Fire Lord of a peaceful country was the only way he could even remotely have a chance of Katara being in his future. And that was reason enough for him.

With that, Zuko finally allowed himself to fall into the comforting nothingness of unconsciousness.

* * *

For the second time in as many days Zuko groaned as he opened his eyes from being unconscious. As he attempted to rise, pain shot through his whole body and he squeezed his eyes shut. Immediately a small, yet firm hand guided him back down.

"I wouldn't do that just yet." The female voice floated through the haze of unconsciousness.

As straw was placed at the edge of his mouth and he sipped a bitter flavoured beverage through it.

Zuko grimaced. "Ugh…" The after taste was worse than the immediate.

_I hope that is going to make me feel better because that is _rank_!_

Gradually his eyes cracked open again, slowly adjusting to the bright surrounds. Zuko turned his head slightly to the occupant next to his bed. The fuzzy outline focused into a prison nurse, dressed in plain green robe and a pale yellow apron. She must have been only 14 or 15 years old, her face yet to show lines of worry or hard work and her dark brown hair lightened in places from the sun her features were flawless, like porcelain. Zuko couldn't put his finger on it, but she looked familiar… something about her tugged at his hazy memories.

She smiled gently. "Feeling better, now?"

Groggily Zuko nodded.

"Good." She started fixing the blankets around him.

Zuko relaxed and closed his eyes, the pain slowly fading around him. After a few minutes rest he opened his eyes again to see the young girl changing his dressing on his arm.

"Thanks." He murmured, the action taking too much effort for him to be able to say any more.

"No worries. That's what I am here for."

Zuko smiled slightly at the girl. She had a charming personality, easy going and soothing presence. She reminded him somewhat of Katara in that regards.

"Can you do something for me?" Zuko cautiously asked.

"Depends what it is…"

"Tell me about… anything. I was in silence for way too long."

"Hmmm. You are a strange person, highness."

Zuko quickly oped his eyes, mouth gaping. "How…?"

She smiled mysteriously. "Everyone knows what you look like. And most of us are rooting for you to become the next Fire Lord."

"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow. Of course he was easily recognised, what with all the wanted posters and his scar, but he didn't expect the Fire Lord support.

"Yeah. But I've decided to change my mind now that I have met you…" she shrugged indifferently.

"What? Why…?" He questioned, shocked. He couldn't decide if she was teasing him or not and thus decided playing it cool was the best option.

"Mmm, you are much too young to take the place. You should be out courting girls and getting into trouble!" She leaned closer to him. "Although you seem to have the trouble bit down pat!" She laughed.

Zuko smirked at her. It was nice to just talk to someone without the pressure of going into battle or watching his back for Sokka or Aang to appear from somewhere inconceivable and catch them.

"Soooo." Zuko started. "How long am I going to be here for?"

She shrugged and moved onto the next dressing on his right shoulder. "I don't know. The wounds are pretty serious and I think the Warden has been ordered to keep you out of trouble" She smirked at him. "So it could be up to a fortnight…maybe longer."

Zuko smirked right back. "Works for me, I am definitely not in any hurry to back in the cell!"

She chuckled at him.

Zuko hissed at the dressing she started wiping onto his wound. He craned his neck to look and wished he hadn't. From the top of his shoulder to mid way down his upper arm was devoid of the healthy creamy coloured skin it possessed twenty four hours before the colours now ranged from black to purple to an angry red. He winced. That was going to leave one hell of a scar!

The girl smiled apologetically at him. "If we could get the healer in here she could reduce the scar to very small, but she is kept busy at the moment on earth kingdom citizens."

Zuko nodded. Of course they wouldn't spare such a healer for him, he was probably lucky he was getting the care he was.

"That's Ok. You need to heal your people first…" he smiled wanly at her.

They lapsed into a comfortable silence while she finished on the rest of his wounds. It seemed there was at least one on each of his body parts. Many times Zuko had to grit his teeth to keep from crying out as the salve was applied. It seemed that earth bending was an effective way to graze skin off your opponent. Damn those guards.

"There you go, all done." The girl stood and started to clear away the used dressings.

"Thankyou…." Zuko trailed off as he realised he had yet to learn the girls name.

"Ila." She supplied.

"Ila… Thankyou."

"Highness." Ila smiled and bowed her head formally, before walking off to tend to her other patients.

* * *

_Prince Zuko is in the prison wards!_

Ila sped along the enclosed earth caverns to her fathers chamber having come straight from the infirmary when her break started. She had to get this piece of information to him, and he would be even more proud of her, yet again!

He was sitting at his custom designed desk, the timber representing sturdiness and trust, the flowing curves and patterns showing harmony and peace. He seemed to be going through a stack of new parchments, most likely assignment suggestions and requests for Tribe members. When she entered through the doorway, her father didn't look up or acknowledge her. Though she knew he would have heard her coming a few corridors down as he had exceptional hearing- something her had passed onto her.

"Father?" Ila entered the chamber and bowed to her father, head to the floor as was customary.

Sigrun looked to his daughter in front of him. "Rise, Ila. What is this information you have for me?"

Ila sat up and looked to her father. "Prince Zuko has been taken to the hospital ward of the prison as of this morning. He suffered sever injuries to his chest, arms and legs from a brawl with a dozen Earth Kingdom guards. I managed to be assigned to his case."

Sigrun nodded thoughtfully. "Good job, Ila. What chance is there that this will happen to him again?"

"High. The prison guards do not show him respect, neither do the other prisoners." Ila replied.

"Hmmm." Her father closed his eyes to think more clearly. It would do them no good for Prince Zuko to come to harm again, yet he was also reluctant to intervene.

Intervention from the Tribe may cause some unrest amongst the Earth Kingdom citizens, and possibly also from the Fire Nation. Unfortunately Prince Zuko was not exceptionally popular on any front. But on the other hand, if this happened again and no one was willing to step in…

"Father, if I may?"

Sigrun nodded.

"I would recommend we liberate him as soon as possible. The guards do not show remorse and I am convinced that if I hadn't asked Rune to intervene this first time they would have killed him. It is not safe for him to stay."

Sigrun looked in approval to his daughter. Everytime he thought she could not get any better, she proved him wrong. She had far surpassed the men and women in wisdom, Tribal skills and beauty- for there was none as flawless as her. She took after her mother in that aspect.

Intervention from the Tribe may cause some unrest amongst the Earth Kingdom citizens, and possibly also from the Fire Nation. Unfortunately Prince Zuko was not exceptionally popular on any front. But on the other hand, if this happened again and no one was willing to step in… His daughter had strong points and had witnessed his injuries first hand.

"You are dismissed, daughter." Ila stood, understanding this as high praise from her father, and exited the room.

Ila had not grown up like the other Earth Kingdom children. She had not spent hours playing with her friends, practising her bending or learning about the history. In fact, most of her life had been spent underground in secret chambers much like her fathers, perfecting her Tribal skills and executing unwavering obedience to her family.

Her family was the head of the Tribe. Tribe members were a specially skilled group of people living in all nations, selling their skills to the highest bidder. Nevertheless, their loyalty was always to the Tribe first, and the Tribes first loyalty was to the descendants of Agni- a line passed down through the first born of Fire Nation royalty.

This year when she turned 15, Ila was summoned by her father and given her first real assignment. It had been reported that Prince Zuko had been spotted with Earth Kingdom guards and she had been sent to the same prison as a nurse in hopes of hearing information about him. Now she was his personal nurse- a position which Sigrun had not even hoped for her.

_How strange fate is…_ Ila mused. She had done nothing exceptional with her life so far, yet it kept giving her small rewards like this one.

She came to the end of the earthen corridor and waved at the two Dai Li agents as they opened the wall into the basement beneath her families Earth Kingdom home. Ila liked to pull a Tribal trick on the two agents form time to time and today was as good as any.

She split herself in two, leaving her first self smiling at them in the corridor and her second self scurried through the opening in the wall as the first self faded away. The guards looked at each other, amused by the Masters daughter's antics and then scowled at Ila as the waved at them from the basement, laughing at their expense. She had been doing that to the Dai Li since she had learnt how to use the first and second self skill as a young child, but it never got old.

She pulled herself up through the trapdoor into the kitchen and set about preparing for another shift at work.

Hopefully by the time she returned tonight her father would have made a decision on Prince Zuko's status. She hoped he would allow her to help!

**Well, Yeah, that was a little short… hell, you woulda had to wait another week if I had wanted to have more on this chapter.**

**OK. Did you all follow the Tribe skills and stuff? The first and second self is a basic Tribal skill and I got the idea of the Tribe from the "Tales of the Otori" trilogy by Lian Hearn- if you haven't read them, you simply must!!**

**Soooo…**

**Yep- Review!! :D**


	6. 6 Devastation

**Disclaimer: Don't own shite. Short and sweet.**

**A/N: Sorry for taking so long, so I ain't gonna take up much time with this note. Ah… this is kinda Part I of the theme 'Devastation.' And Sorry for the two lots of alerts for this chapter... -sheepish grin- my bad.**

Chapter Six- Devastation.

After 2 weeks of being contained in the hospital bed Zuko was itching to leave. As much as he enjoyed his time talking to Ila, he still couldn't place where he knew her from. He had learned quite a bit about her and shared a few stories from his own childhood, but nothing remotely suggested where he could possibly know her from. It was frustrating him to no ends in the hours he had between his dressings being changed and sleeping at night time.

Ila's mother had died when she was a baby and she had been raised by her father in the Earth Kingdom on a small, but well tended farm. She had one older brother who was working here at the prison he had married a year ago, but his wife had recently disappeared. In another week, he would be granted leave to track her down and bring her back. Ila revealed that he was the one who had stopped the guards from killing Zuko a fortnight ago.

He had yet to show his face in the infirmary for Zuko to thank him, but Ila reassured him that he often asked about him at home, and she would pass on the message.

Ila's grandfather had become ill a few months back so she sought out this job as a nurse for the prison to help pay for the medication. And it paid better than anywhere else… "risk factor", she had jokingly suggested. But it probably wasn't too far from the truth.

She didn't mention names, and he didn't ask.

Zuko sighed, frustrated in more ways than one.

He needed to train and meditate properly. He longed to feel the fire burst from his limbs and the feel of his twin Dao swords in his fists. He needed to feel the physical and mental exhaustion, the aching muscles and the sweat pouring off his body.

During the night Zuko would sit up as much as he could and try to clear his mind. But the incessant beeps, groans and murmurs of the hospital ward constantly irritated him and he was rarely able to meditate for more than a few minutes.

And above all he needed to see Katara. He had become reliant on her encouragement and light hearted jokes. She had understood him, had wanted to be with him, and had _loved_ him. And now she was far away in the Western Air Temple, the place where they had all become such good friends. Where they had betrayed him…

Or had he betrayed them?

After all, it was Chace who had tried to capture Aang, his friend, the girl he had sworn protection to.

CueFlashback

_Laughter rang out across the field._

_"Zuko!" Chace called to him. Running ahead she raised her hands and twirled quickly in the knee high grass dotted sporadically with butter yellow daisies._

_Zuko smiled slightly, watching her. It was hard to believe that she was the same broken girl he had met a year into his banishment. In fact, it was hard to believe he was the same boy. At 14 Zuko had formed a friendship with the beautiful, caring Fire Nation girl. She was showing him aspects of love he had never felt before and it excited him. At their age it was not so much a romantic love, but more a love shared between siblings…_

_As Zuko caught up to her Chace grinned at him, making his stomach wrench with protective fondness. She was so pretty. Perhaps if they had been allowed to be together in a few years, they would have become romantically involved, but as fate would have it they did not._

_Her straight black hair fell to just below her shoulders, a stark contrast to her milky skin. But her golden eyes were what he loved most about her. The soft golden colour was a hue rarely seen outside the highest ranking families in the Fire Nation, meaning even if he were back at the palace his father would have approved of her as a friend._

_Chace swayed slightly in front of Zuko, still dizzy from her spinning. He reached out an arm to steady her as she met his gaze._

_"Thanks Zuko." She murmured, stepping closer to wrap her arms around his waist. Zuko hugged her tightly in return._

_"Anytime" he whispered back._

_6 months ago, with his uncles pushing Zuko had picked up the broken, homeless girl from the streets of Caius and had taken her to his ship. As he had set about healing her with the help of the ships physician, Zuko had found a girl after his own heart. She had been through much in her short life, though she hadn't yet told him exactly what happened and just needed his friendship and, begrudgingly, Zuko needed hers too._

_Chace pulled back, a mischievous look on her face. She took his hand gently and pulled him over the hillcrest. A large Clearwater lake sat in the shallow valley surrounded by undulating hillsides._

_She bowed playfully to him "Care to swim, Prince Zuko?"_

_Zuko looked at her sceptically, an eyebrow raised. "I don't think so."_

_"Come on…!" She whined. Zuko crossed his arms, stubborn till the end._

_"It'll be fun…please?" she wheedled._

_Zuko remained stoic. She pouted at him._

_"Fine. I don't need you to have fun…" she teased, hoping to bait him._

_Nothing._

_Removing her outer robe, Chace retreated a few meters then, grinning like a mad woman, ran crazily towards the lake and launched herself off the bank, shrieking as the icy water met her body._

_Zuko smirked. She could play in the lake all she wanted, but he was not going in. Swimming just wasn't his thing._

_After quite a few moments, Zuko uncrossed his arms and walked closer to the waters edge, becoming somewhat concerned. Chace had yet to surface for air. He peered through the water, hoping to catch a glimpse of her… unharmed._

_An unmoving shadow several meters into the water caused his heart to lurch. Not thinking about what he was doing, Zuko stripped to his pants and crashed trough the water to reach her._

_Reaching his hand out he grasped her leg. Diving under he saw she was held down by some sort of old fishing net. Pulling out his knife from his waistband he quickly freed the unconscious girl and pulled her up onto the grass bank._

_He leaned over his friend, trembling with slight panic at the sight of her unmoving body. Shaking her shoulder vigorously to rouse her, Zuko promised Agni everything her could think of if only she would be ok._

_She soon coughed up water, groaning._

_"You were right… Swimming is not… as fun… as I remembered…" she rasped out._

_Zuko stared at her in considerable disbelief. She had almost drowned and that's the first thing she says to him? No 'Thanks for saving me, Zuko' or 'You're my hero, Zuko.' Girls._

_At least she didn't die. Zuko thought ruefully. So he did the only thing he could think of and hugged her._

_Later, when they were walking back to the ship, Chace turned to him, placing a light, feathery kiss on his cheek._

_The Fire Prince looked at her, surprised. "What was that for?"_

_She shrugged. "Saving me." She smiled at him._

_He smiled back. "I will always protect you Chace."_

EndFlashback

Zuko's happy memoirs were tainted with the regret, sorrow and guilt surrounding his friends' death.

* * *

Rune shook his head Sigrun had surely gone mad- only minutes ago he had proposed a plan to rescue Prince Zuko from the Ba Sing Se prison. He was aware of the outrage this may cause yet he was still willing to go with it. Rune felt as though Prince Zuko was in no immediate danger, after all they could just ask Ila to recommend keeping him in the infirmary longer, or place him in solitary. But Sigrun had, once again yielded to the wishes of his daughter. His sister had their father, and every other man- including himself- wrapped around her little finger.

And now, because his father couldn't say no to the girl, Rune was off to tell her she wouldn't be able to accompany them on this mission. Again. Both father and son knew she would give her right arm and leg to go with them, but neither had the heart to place her in danger despite her ability to fight and defend herself just as well as they could.

Rune pushed open his sisters wooden door to her earthen chamber to find her meditating on her bed.

He tip toed up behind her and was about to lace his hands over her eyes when she spoke.

"You know that hasn't work since I was five, Rune."

He shrugged and sat beside her. "It might one day…"

She cracked her eyes open and glanced at him, raising an eye brow in silent question.

"Dad just told me the plan to rescue Prince Zuko."

He now had her full attention, though she tried to act indifferent. "Really?"

He nodded slightly in confirmation.

"What's the plan?" She asked. Rune gave her a disapproving frown.

"You know I cant tell you unless you are on the team, Ila."

She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly. She knew her father wouldn't let her go, but she kept hoping that one day he would see her as more than his talented little girl and see her for the warrior and woman she was. He allowed her to learn the skills, hone her talents, yet he still denied her any real chance to use them. It was frustrating!

Outwardly she showed little sign of her frustration.

"I know." She said, smiling wanly at him.

Rune smiled apologetically at her. There wasn't anything either of them could do to oppose the decision without looking disobedient, a trait heavily punished in the Tribe. She took a deep breath knowing she would get little more out of him about the plan.

"I hear you are going after Chace soon?" She redirected the conversation to his missing wife.

Rune nodded, "Intelligence lost track of her at the Western Air Temple" he snorted. "Fat lot of good that will do me, the place is huge."

Ila lay her hand on his shoulder, squeezing slightly to reassure him. "You'll find her, Rune, you always have."

"Thanks Ila, but I think this time is different…" he trailed off, "I just have this feeling…"

Ila didn't say anything more. She didn't tell her brother that she feared he was correct, that when Chace had disappeared a month ago she felt she had seen her beloved sister-in-law for the last time.

* * *

In the dark, early hours of the morning Rune crept stealthily towards the Ba Sing Se prison infirmary. The faint moonlight cast gentle shadows across the barren Earth Kingdom ground, shadows of the few shrubs in the area danced with the bushes in the gentle breeze.

Acutely he was aware of the dozen and a half Dai Li agents surrounding the building dressed in common Earth Kingdom garments, giving the impression they were the group of Earth Kingdom rebels known as 'Ecko.' Which was exactly what the Tribe needed any survivors or witnesses to think- not that this plan should leave any, it was just a precaution.

For the Tribe this plan was pretty extreme. The Tribe preferred to work discreetly, without drawing attention to themselves. The Tribe was blessed with 'Tribal Skills' of finely tuned hearing and the self skill rather than bending. The skills varied in extremity, depending on the talent of the member, and were also more useful in many situations to bending.

Tribe members were taught hand to hand combat and assassin skills from the day they could walk. By the time a member had finished their training at 15 they were essentially the perfect assassin. Ruthless, cunning, clean.

The Tribe preferred to be discreet in their killing as opposed to benders who fought their opponents face to face… but this particular mission would be anything but discreet.

Rune knew that, despite his reservations for the plan, it was necessary that Ba Sing Se city knew of the outcome- and it was important that the world thought Prince Zuko was dead.

Upon reaching his target location, Rune let loose a whistle sounding nearly identical to the singing night birds of Ba Sing Se.

On his cue part of the infirmary's earthen wall sunk into the ground, leaving an opening in the wall large enough for a man to comfortably walk through. Crouching low as he ran, Rune ducked into the infirmary and quickly located Prince Zuko lying on his cot. Sneaking past the other patients as quietly as he could Rune gently shook Prince Zuko's shoulder to wake him. He glanced around; slowly the other patients were starting to stir. They needed to leave quickly- he shook the shoulder more vigorously, his calm demeanour starting to abandon him.

Groggily, Prince Zuko's eyes opened to settle on a man hovering above him, shaking his shoulder. The man gestured fro Zuko to follow him, raising a finger to his lips to signal for silence. Zuko nodded, slipping out of his sheets, and followed the man through a hole in the wall. As soon as they were through the wall, the hole was closed up and the rescuer lengthened his stride, hurrying towards the city out skirts. The pace he set was not overly energetic, but the few weeks Zuko had spent out of training had taken their toll on him and he found himself struggling to keep his breathing even after a couple hundred meters.

Suddenly a loud crack echoed through Ba Sing Se, followed by the unmistakable boom of a building collapsing. Glancing back Zuko saw the prison infirmary lying in a heap on the ground. Where the large building used to stand there was now only rubble, dust and small fires burning on anything flammable, flickering in the moonlight. Shouts and cries of panic and alarm gradually came; first one guard raised the alarm, then three and so on. Pretty soon the district surrounding the prison was alert as people swarmed out into the night to assist the victims. From the looks of the devastation and damage of the infirmary, Zuko decided it would be safe to assume that everyone inside the infirmary had perished… everyone except him. He watched the man walk in front of him, studying the way he moved. It was clear to Zuko that he was a trained soldier, but there was something unique about his style, something in the way he held himself as he walked. It was…intriguing.

They walked in silence along the desolate Earth Kingdom road until day break. As the sun rose over the horizon, Zuko closed his eyes for a few steps, relishing the suns touch on his skin for the first time in weeks.

The rescuer turned to him. "You hungry?"

Zuko nodded and he was handed a piece of jerky. Hungry was the largest understatement he had heard in a while, he was famished!

"My name's Rune, by the way." The man provided.

"Zuko."

Rune nodded. "Yeah, I know…" Heh. Of course he did, everyone did.

The silence stretched between them for a while before Rune spoke.

"We are going to the Tribe's headquarters."

"The Tribe?" Zuko questioned, frowning at the unfamiliarity of the name.

Rune nodded. "I am one of them, the successor, in fact. It's a covert group trained and used to protect the line of Agni."

Zuko frowned thoughtfully. The line of Agni was passed down through the first born of each of the Fire Lord's. "How many of you are there?"

"At the moment, there are about 18,000 of us. Mostly we are used in the form of assassins." He shrugged.

Zuko glanced at the other man a though suddenly occurring to him. "Do the other royal lines have a tribe looking out for them?"

"Yes. There is the clan for the water tribe's, the Coterie for the Earth Kingdom, and the Tier for the Air nomads…though they haven't had much to do in the last 100 years." Rune added.

Zuko smirked. "That's for damn sure."

Rune chuckled. It was good to know the Prince still had a good sense of humour after his difficult life he would certainly need it in the months to come. Perhaps he would be worth getting to know better.

"You have even already met my sister."

Zuko glanced at him, surprised. "Who?"

"Ila. She was your nurse, was she not?"

Zuko let a very quick grin escape his lips. Heh, and to think he was worried about leaving her behind… she was in on the whole thing. "Oh Yeah. She didn't tell me anything useful apart from her name."

Rune smiled at that. Good ol' Ila, she didn't give anything away about the Tribe, even to Prince Zuko. It was too bad he was older than her, she would have made a great Tribe Master.

"I guess you are the guard I owe my life to, then?" Rune nodded slightly.

"Thanks man." There. Zuko finally got to meet and thank the guy who saved his life… when he was in the middle of saving his arse once again. Typical.

The two young men smiled tentatively at each other, a comfortable bond of friendship forming between them.

"So you got a girlfriend?" Rune questioned, getting to the important matters between two young men.

Zuko's smile turned wistful. "Yeah."

Rune nudged him playfully. "What's she like?"

Zuko sighed. "Gorgeous, feisty, caring…" he trailed off. Words could never adequately describe Katara and he felt like a slight fool for trying. "Ila mentioned you were married?" Zuko probed at Runes chuckle, turning the tables on him. Rune nodded in confirmation.

"She is everything I ever dreamed about… and more." He said, sighing ruefully. "But she doesn't mush like the confines of the Tribe…"

Zuko looked sympathetically at his knew friend. "She'll come round. Love conquers all, right?"

Another hour or so into the walk, they approached a small farm a hundred meters off the main road. Rune turned to Zuko spreading his arms wide.

"Here we are, home sweet home!"

Zuko squinted suspiciously at the small house perched on the bare land. It was certainly not what he expected for the dwellings of the almighty protectors of the line of Agni! Surely Rune was pulling his leg.

The barren earth was sparse in vegetation, though the ground was ploughed and ready to plant crops in the coming weeks. The small house was rough in the exterior, much like all peasant farm houses in the Earth Kingdom, but somehow possessed an atmosphere of safety and homeliness about it. Vaguely it reminded Zuko of the farm he stayed at with Lee all those months ago. Though the lack of chicken pigs made for a much more peaceful setting it also meant, as Lee had pointed out, people could sneak around here.

He couldn't decide if that was good or bad.

Opening the flimsy wooden framed door, Rune walked into the house, gesturing for Zuko to follow. The insides of the house were as modest as the exterior, the warm smell of freshly baking bread and stew flooded the rooms, making Zuko realise how hungry he really was.

To his surprise, Rune led him through the house and into the washroom lifting up a trap door.

"Basement." He clarified.

Once in the basement, Rune marched over to the far wall and thumped on it. Why Zuko was surprised to see the wall slide away after what he had been told this morning was a mystery. It made sense that the Tribe would use earthbender's to reinforce their headquarters… and on missions.

As they stepped through into the earthen corridor, Zuko surveyed his new surrounds. It was simply a long, wide corridor with wooden doors every few meters, leading into private chambers. At the very end of the corridor was a large room where Sigrun worked from, Rune explained. After Zuko had freshened up and got some rest he would be taken to him to discuss his future.

Leading him into the room closest to the conference chamber, Rune left Zuko to himself. The room was tastefully decorated in the way of the Fire Nation, but not overly so. Not that it worried him. At that moment Zuko would have slept in a barn if it meant he could have at least 12 hours straight to sleep.

He sunk gratefully into the very large red mattress, sleep immediately consuming him.

**So there you have it, Chapter 6: Devastation. So you know the drill, Read and Review! The more reviews I get, the quicker I will update!! :D**

**Cheerio,**

**Chip**


	7. 7 While a War Rages

**AN: OK. There are a few things I need to say; it was pointed out quite a few chapters back that Ba Sing Se was under the control of the Fire Nation when the series last left it… ah, they took it back somewhere along the line :D. Yes, it has been a month since the story started and this chapter is what was happening while Zuko was escaping from the prison which is why its kind of a part II of the previous chapter.**

**And the rest of the Gaang is continuing with Aang's training. I haven't decided who exactly will be picking up his firebending training, and am open to suggestions!**

**I want to give a hearty THANKYOU to all my reviewers! And a stern scolding to anyone who did NOT review! scowl**

**I have the first Chapter of Chace's Story (Dissension) written up, and the second on its way. I will probably post it between this chapter and the next of Corollary, hopefully next week sometime!**

Chapter Seven- While a War Rages

"_No, you can't stay; right where you fell, the hardest part is forgiving yourself. But let's take a walk into today, and don't let your past get in the way."_

_History, Matthew West_

* * *

Katara wiped the sweat from her forehead, frowning at the seemingly never ending expanse of road in front of her.

Ba Sing Se hadn't seemed this far on the map… or riding on Appa. For a moment a glimmer of regret forced its way into her mind. Perhaps if she had stayed with the Gaang she wouldn't be trudging through this godforsaken place.  
The few trees along the side of the road offered little relief from the sun, their scrawny branches lacking profusely in leaves offering next to no shade.

_What this place lacks in water and shade, it makes up with searing heat and blinding sunshine!_

Katara squinted across the Earth Kingdom plains. What she needed was an ostrich horse to ride. Perhaps she could pinch one of a nearby farm.

_Yeah, Right._ She thought wirily. Knowing her luck lately she would be caught and end up in prison… maybe she could bunk with Zuko.

Ha! Wouldn't that be a laugh?

_Hey Zuko! I came to see you and maybe rescue you, but instead I ended up in here with you 'cos I couldn't suck it up and walk! _Her mind taunted her with sarcasm.

She could just see his grateful expression now.

Katara shook the scenario from her mind. _Better reach Ba Sing Se soon…_ She could just see herself going mad on the road to Ba Sing Se… Speaking of which, that would make a great song for those travelling hippies they met a while back…

_Uh oh._

She had never been truly on her own for such a long time before and it was slowly taking its toll on her.

"Do you need a ride, miss?" Katara glanced up, startled out of her reverie by a young man riding up on his ostrich horse. She stopped, meeting his blue gaze as he smiled kindly at her.

"Depends who you are and where you are going…" She said, sounding more defensive than she meant to as she took in his handsome smile and dark, chiselled features.

He raised an eyebrow at her.

He could come to like this girl… a lot. It was not often he came across another water tribe lady with such a…brazen… approach.

For a fleeting moment he wondered how it was that the both of them, each so obviously water tribe, were travelling along the same main road to Ba Sing Se. And why she was alone… maybe she would want to travel with him for a while.

_Yeah, and maybe I'll marry her._ He thought ruefully, noting the betrothal necklace around her neck. _Not likely._

He looked down at her, noticing her bright blue eyes, dark mocha skin and long chocolate hair.

There was something in her eyes that drew to her, told him to take a chance. He saw sorrow, longing and exhaustion. But behind all that there was strength, and a determination rarely seen in water tribe women. And a familiarity he couldn't place.

He extended his hand in greeting. "Novik."

She shook his hand. "Katara."

He let the name roll around in his mind. "Nice to meet you, Katara."

"Where are you headed?"

"Ba Sing Se, then on to the Northern water tribe." He flashed her a grin.

Katara nodded her head once. "Sure, I'll come to Ba Sing Se."

Novik pulled her up her behind him and kicked his ostrich into a trot.

"Ever been to Ba Sing Se before?" Novik asked as they rode.

"Yes. I lived there for a while."

Novik was surprised by this answer. "Why did you leave? Most think its heaven."

He felt Katara shrug behind him. "We were kicked out when Azula took over."

"Azula?" He questioned.

She nodded. "The Fire Nation Princess. We fought her, but were over powered."

_On a first name basis with the Fire Nation Princess, huh. Strange… wait…!_

"We?"

"Yes, my brother, Toph Bei Fong, and Aang… the Avatar. We fought Azula and Zuko and their Dai li, and they won. We left."

"The Avatar?!" Novik was beginning to feel overwhelmed. Here he had been searching for some adventure, and Katara had bet him to it many times over… and she was most probably younger than him!

_Hang on.._. He quickly put the pieces together; Katara, Avatar, Fighting Fire Nation, Water tribe… He got it.

"You wouldn't happen to be the young girl, who challenged Pakku to learn waterbending a while back, would you?" he asked, everything suddenly making sense.

Katara chuckled. "I'm not that young. But yes, that was me."

"Huh. Imagine that, what are the odds?"

She shrugged.

"So why are you headed to Ba Sing Se?" He asked.

She stilled behind him and for a moment he worried he had…offended her? He had at least touched a soft spot.

"I… am visiting… ah, family." She answered at last.

_Ok, Novik, Change subjects…_

"You're betrothed?" he questioned, slightly more than mildly interested.

"Yes, though unofficially. Are you?"

Novik shook his head. "No" he answered ruefully.

"Why not?" Katara asked in surprise. "I thought the Northern Water tribe was pretty strict with their marriage customs?"

He nodded, knowing what she was probably thinking. "It is. I was betrothed, but she was killed during the invasion a year ago."

"I'm sorry." Katara felt terrible. But Novik just shrugged.

"You couldn't have known. Plus I had only met her once before so it wasn't too hard when she died." He felt a bit cold when he told Katara this, but it was the truth. He hadn't known the girl long enough to feel any connection to her; she was just another casualty in the invasion.

Besides, it was almost a blessing. He didn't want a meek water tribe wife from an arranged marriage. He craved a challenge, someone who would love him, and now that his betrothed was no longer living, he had the freedom to fulfil his dreams.

Evidently not with Katara, which was a bit of a bummer, but perhaps, with her contacts she would be able to help him find his partner.

He had admired her spunk almost a year back when she had challenged Pakku, and he was enjoying her conversation now. He was amazed at the things she had done since she had left… it didn't get much more impressive than fighting the two Fire Nation heirs! Apart from duelling with the Fire Lord himself.

Which she would probably do aswell…

Damn, his life was boring!

* * *

Katara sank to her knees in disbelief. She could hardly believe what lay before her. The Ba Sing Se prison infirmary was crushed. Rubble lay strew around the site. Broken and crushed bodies would be seen poking from the debris, the arms and legs barely recognisable in their mangled state. No one was being allowed near the wreckage… or the prison. Katara's heart had turned cold the moment she had heard rumours that Zuko was inside the infirmary.

A list of casualties had yet to be posted.

_Well, at least I know I came to the right place…_She though dryly, the notion barely comforting to her.

Novik stood behind Katara, unsure exactly what he should do. He would give a lot of things just to have a glimmer of what would be appropriate. They hadn't said much on the way here, the remainder of the journey had only taken a day for them on the ostrich horse as opposed to the 2 it would have taken Katara to walk it.

He thought it strange that she had wanted to come straight to the prison rather than someone's house, or even an inn… She had mentioned she had family in Ba Sing Se, so why did she want to come here? Novik felt that if he was serious about getting to know Katara better, he was going to have a lot to process from her life so far.

In his peripheral vision Novik noticed a guard posting the list of casualties on the notice board. Placing his hand on Katara's shoulder, squeezing gently, he leant down to her ear. "Come on. They just posted the list."

Katara silently stood and turned, giving him a wan smile. Together they turned to read the notice.

* * *

_The collapse of the Ba Sing Se prison infirmary 2 days ago has been attributed to the rogue group of earthbender's, Ecko.  
It had since been confirmed that all inside the prison infirmary (total four prisoners, 5 prison personnel) have perished. The body count revealed 12 head, some unidentifiable.  
The names of the Prison Personnel are as follows:  
-Fez (Earth Kingdom, guard)  
-Kel (Earth Kingdom, guard)  
-Jay (Water Tribe, healer)  
-Cosa (Earth Kingdom, Nurse)  
-Giche (Earth Kingdom, healer)  
The names of the Prisoners are as follows:  
-Cheg (Earth Kingdom, rebel leader)  
-Lu Be (Earth Kingdom, rebel activist)  
-Kun (Earth Kingdom, rebel activist)  
-Prince Zuko (Fire Nation, prince)_

_The prison supervisor, Warden Ho-min, offers his condolences to all families involved._

* * *

Novik finished reading the notice, silently wondering which name Katara had been hoping _not_ to see on the list. He glanced sideways, stilling at the sight of her. Tears were flowing freely down her face; she was not even bothering to try and contain them.

His 'oh no' sounded more like a groan as he turned to her and pulled her into a hug. She melted into his embrace, clinging to his robe as he held her tight. She didn't make a sound in her grief, the silence somehow more heart breaking than anything else. He just stood there holding Katara until her tears died down and she moved to disengage herself from his embrace, wiping her eyes.

"I'm Sorry…" She choked out, blinking away more tears.

Novik shook his head. "Katara, its ok." He said reassuringly, gently gripping her upper arms. She nodded meekly.

He let go and looked around for the nearest inn, one hand lingering on her elbow. "Come on. We'll find somewhere to stay for the night and tomorrow you can think about what you want to do."

As he got practical, Katara felt some of her previous strength find its way back. She smiled gratefully at him and Novik couldn't help but smile back, quite relieved to see her mood picking up, even a little.

* * *

"Here."

Katara took the hot cup of tea Novik was offering her. They had found a nice little inn with a suite to stay the night. It only contained a small kitchen and barely enough room to move in the dining area, but it had two bedrooms, each with a basic bathroom.

She stared bleakly at the tea as she swirled it around with her hand, unsure of where to go now. Katara had shed the brunt of her tears yesterday into Novik's shirt and again last night into her pillow. This morning, despite the cheery sunshine flooding the living area, Katara felt drained. Who knew crying could take so much energy?

She had set off to Ba Sing Se in hope of just seeing Zuko. Her heart had ached for her love, and the hope of seeing him had kept her motivated from the time she left the Western Air Temple to when she had seen the Ba Sing Se prison infirmary…destroyed.

So what now? She felt she couldn't yet face the Gaang. For the most part, she had always seen her brother as the one to be comforting her, telling her it will be ok. But this time he was the primary cause of the mess, and on the surface she blamed him for Zuko's death. When she pictured her brother now, all she could see was him standing there, over the dead woman, accusing Zuko of sending her. And she could say nothing to defend him either, because while Zuko didn't confirm it, he didn't deny it either. To say Katara was slightly jealous at the way he grieved the other girl wouldn't be too far from truth. Maybe, she actually hadn't said anything to defend him because she felt jealous, and maybe, just maybe Katara had thought that a little trip to the prison would be a fitting way to hurt Zuko for caring so much about someone else.

Katara felt ill. It wasn't only Sokka's fault that Zuko had died… it was also hers! How could this happen? How could she just stand by and let her brother ruin Zuko's chance of being the best Fire Lord in history?

_The Fire Nation._

Her throat constricted as the reality and consequences of Zuko's death came crashing down on her. It wasn't just about her. She wasn't the only one who would suffer from his death. There was now an entire nation left without a suitable heir to the throne! And while she had been moping around in the safe city of Ba Sing Se, a war raged around them. A one hundred year old war that wasn't going to stop itself!

But the prospect of going back to the Gaang was still an uninviting one. Katara was going to need a lot of time to heal before she would be able to look at her brother and be able to forgive him… if she ever could. In the meantime, she had Novik.

_Wait… didn't he say he was going to the Northern Water tribe?_

Yes, that could work. She would move forward in her life, as she did when her mother died, when Aang was shot down in the Crystal Catacombs, like Sokka had done when he lost Yue. Just like everybody before her who had lost someone dear to them. It wasn't her time to die yet, and she was going to make the most of her time on the earth.

"You are headed to the Northern Water tribe, right?" She quietly asked Novik, meeting his gaze with determination in her eyes.

He nodded in confirmation. Katara inhaled.

"I'm coming with you."

* * *

**AN: Sorry its not my longest chapter and not the most exciting, but its not too bad…**

**Um, I spent a lot of time pouring over episodes, Wikipedia and quizzing my sisters on how Katara would react to the news of Zuko's death. And while I, myself, would probably have a mental breakdown (And nearly did when I decided to 'kill' him…lol), we all concluded that Katara would be strong. She shed a few tears when Aang died in COD, but as soon as she could she healed him. According to Sokka, she became the mother figure of the household, keeping the family together when her mother died. So from these accounts I decided that she wouldn't be the one wailing her heart out for weeks on end, but the one who put others (innocent victims in the war) needs before hers and set about ending the war.**

**However, I did feel she would not be able to forgive Sokka, or maybe even herself as she is pretty damn good at holding a grudge in the series.**

**So I hope I got her character right, let me know if you think she would be different, as its only halfway through the story and there is heaps of time to correct myself… There aren't many things worse than a seriously OoC boo boo :D**

**Katara is really hard for me to write --**

**So next chapter I think will be Zuko in the Tribe, learning more about it and all the rest. Depending on how much stuff the Tribe and the Northern Water tribe chucks at Zuko and Katara, I will do half a chapter on each setting.**

**So R 'n' R!!**


	8. 8 For A reason

**A/N: Hey All! Sorry for the ultra long wait for this chapter. As promised, I have posted the first chapter of Dissension… though it doesn't seem very popular yet (which, quite frankly, makes me want to cry…lol).**

**I have had a bit of a block with this chapter as I am now kind of in between story arcs (i.e., Zuko's escape and the reunion) so I decided to watch the end of the Avatar episodes to see if I can incorporate it in to the story, which I can! Yay, Go ME!**

**Um, so the events of Southern Raiders and Ember Island Players HAVE happened, but NOT Boiling Rock. 'Cos that just gets too freaking complicated! Of course, you should keep in mid that Sozin's Comet is not for another year from this chapter… Remember that!**

**Disclaimer: I heard this one somewhere, but I can't remember who said it (if you know, let me know!!) **_**Fire is red, Water is blue. Me no own, so you no sue **_**XD**

Chapter Eight- For a Reason

"_Enjoy when you can, and endure when you must." Johann Wolfgang von Goethe_

A light rap on the door slowly roused Zuko from his deep slumber, his natural reaction kicked in quickly and he snuggled deeper into the blankets, trying to ignore the insidious sound and sleep for a few more days.

Groaning as the rapping persisted he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and raised his head to glare at the offending door.

For just a moment he thought he was back in the Western Air Temple with the Gaang, but as his vision cleared, focusing on the room surrounding him, the events of his rescue came flooding back.

Ba Sing Se, The Tribe, Rune, Ila…

At another rap on the door, Zuko barked out a harsh "What?!"

The handle turned and Ila poked her head in, seeing him sprawled face down on the bed. "Oh, good! You're awake," She smiled and stepped in carrying a tray of food accompanied by a hot pot of tea.

Zuko raised his head off the mattress. "I wasn't until you knocked." He grumbled.

Ila shrugged. "I thought you might want some dinner, as I know it has been quite some time since you have been fed properly."

Zuko groaned. "All I want to do is sleep for at least 12 hours straight…"

She frowned at this. "You have been sleeping for 16 hours already, Prince Zuko."

He stared at her, unsure he had heard correctly. "Huh?"

"You came back midday… yesterday."

His gaze fell from her eyes to his sheets. "Huh." This time the short word was used to convey a sense of recognition rather than confusion.

She smirked at him. "No worries, it's hard to keep track of the time when you are sleeping…"

Zuko scowled. "It's much too early for that, Ila…" he paused "or late, whatever…"

Sitting the tray on the table near his bed, Ila situated herself on one of the spare chairs nearby as Zuko tucked into the meal.

After a few minutes of watching him devour the fresh fruit, Ila broke the steady silence.

"How are you feeling?"

Zuko grimaced. "Tired, sore, dirty, hungry… the list is endless…"

She chuckled at his forlorn expression. "That's pretty good considering you are officially dead."

He blinked. "Come again?"

"For all the world knows, you are dead." She stated again, "the Tribe rigged the fall of the infirmary so that the body count added up."

He stared at her, nonplussed. She said this so factually Zuko began to wonder what he had truly gotten himself into here. Was the Tribe really so ruthless they would kill someone just to stage a rescue? _His_ rescue?

"Was that really necessary?"

"For the moment, Prince Zuko, it _is_ necessary that the world thinks you are dead." Ila continued, "We need you to stay low and hidden for a while if you are to have the best chance at regaining your throne."

"Best chance?!" Zuko exploded, leaping up from the bed. "How is being 'officially dead' the best chance that I have?!"

Ila was mostly shocked at his outburst, but wisely remained quiet and let him rant.

"What are all my friends supposed to think, my uncle? Or how about the whole damn Fire Nation?!" he sunk back down onto the bed. "All my people… Everyone I love…"

Pain flashed across his handsome features. "Katara…" he all but whispered.

"Katara…?" Ila questioned, trying to place the name. "Your… girlfriend?"

"Betrothed…" Zuko quietly corrected.

Ila sighed. "I'm sorry, Prince Zuko, I was unaware." She smiled tightly. "If you ask, Sigrun may allow you to send a message to her…" She ended the suggestion with a trail of uncertainty. She knew better than he did that it was unlikely he would be able to leave these underground chambers for a few weeks, let alone communicate with anyone outside the walls. But Ila couldn't resist feeding him the slight hope that maybe… just maybe Sigrun would look past his situation and let him attend to the matters of the heart.

Zuko looked up at her, almost afraid to allow himself to hope, but vowing to do whatever it took to convince Sigrun it would be safe to send a letter.

* * *

Katara leant against the railing of the Earth Kingdom ship as it left behind the great city of Ba Sing Se and headed in the general direction of the Northern Water tribe's. Without Appa to fly them across, the trip was going to take a little over a week by boat.

Novik was below deck arranging their belongings in their rooms… well, dropping her few things in her room and arranging his things in his room as Katara had opted to stay on deck for a while, needing a morsel of time to herself. She had peered into her room when she had first boarded, the accommodations were somewhat less-than-stellar but definitely more comfortable than sleeping on the ground as she had done so many times in the past year.

Katara was beginning to feel very old. She was only 15, but had already endured a Fire Nation raid which had killed her mother and headed her father off to war, found and fought with the Avatar, mastered waterbending despite Pakku's sexist ideas, failed the invasion on the Day Of Black Sun, watched the fall of Ba Sing Se, healed the Avatar back to life, and had allied with, then fallen in love with Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation- of all people!

And just two days ago now she had learned of her best friend's, her fiancé's, death. Albeit, the betrothal had been unofficial, but she'd been serious about it, and so had Zuko.

She pulled up a strip of water from the ocean, half heartedly pushing it around in front of her. She hadn't had the chance to bend properly since she had left the Gaang. Surprised and slightly startled at this realisation Katara suddenly found herself itching to spar someone.

Normally she would call Zuko over to fight her but for now it was impossible. She frowned. _Not for now… forever._

Annoyed and frustrated at the direction fate seemed to be guiding her life in, Katara removed her outer robe and settled for moving through the water bending sets, beginning with the basic moves and drilling right through the advanced sets.

* * *

Novik bound up the stairs that led from his room to the deck of the Earth Kingdom ship. After arranging his belongings in his own room, he had ducked his head into Katara's, only to find she had not moved her things from where he had dropped them off an hour earlier. And so he had taken it upon himself to find said waterbender, if only to make sure she was OK.

The water tribe warrior had done everything he could think of to make her more comfortable in her loss. He was curious as hell to find out who exactly she had lost, but he didn't want to break the delicate bond of friendship that had formed between them in the last few days.

So he didn't push her.

Spotting Katara gazing over the rail of the ship into the water below, Novik paused for a moment, catching his breath before walking over to stand beside her.

She smiled a hello to him, which he reciprocated before she returned her gaze to the ocean.

Novik idly watched the waves lap on the side of the ship and rested his forearms against the railing, just waiting. Whether for her to initiate conversation, or for something else, he did not know. Katara's thick chocolate braid moved softly against her back in the slight ocean breeze, the rest of her body unmoving. The sun cast golden hues across the water, where it was now beginning to be swallowed by the horizon. A few sea birds squawked gaily in the ocean mist, diving just under the surface as they attempted to catch dinner for their young.

When Katara spoke, the sound was so soft it was almost carried off in the gentle breeze.

"It was Zuko. He was my fiancé." Her eyes never left the ocean; she knew she didn't need to say who she was talking about.

Beside her, Novik was deliberating on his next choice of words, the name seeming familiar, but not quite registering in his mind. _Spirits, how do you react to that? Her fiancé is dead…_

"Was he water tribe?"

Katara looked at him, confused. Didn't Novik recognise the name?

"No. He was Firenation." She clarified, wondering if it will click anytime soon or if she will have to pull out his wanted poster.

"Fire Nation?" his eyes widened, "You mean Prince Zuko?!" he all but exclaimed, feeling slightly less than completely overwhelmed… again. Somehow, Katara had a knack for surprising him more thoroughly than anticipated.

She nodded. "He was travelling with us after the eclipse and taught Aang firebending." She took a breath, swallowing her tears as she shared the tale with Novik. Katara told her friend of her initial hatred towards the Fire Prince, the time he took her to find the man who killed her mother, and how after that day, she started to see him as less of an enemy and more of a friend. "Eventually, after a month of being around him almost twenty four seven, I saw him as something more." She shrugged, "I guess it wasn't the best idea to keep it from Sokka, but I don't think he would have accepted it, despite trusting Zuko with Aang… you know how water tribe men are…" she smiled wryly as Novik nodded. Of course he knew; he was one. "Of course, at the time we had no idea how far it would go. What started out as mutual fondness grew into something so much more." Katara looked at Novik, the latter captivated by her tale. "There were a million reasons why we shouldn't have continued the relationship, but it grew to the point where we could not stand the thought of not being together…"

When he said nothing, Katara continued, her eyes glassy. "I loved him, I really did…" her voice broke slightly with her emotions.

Novik placed a gentle hand on her arm. "Shh. Of course you did, Katara. This must be so hard… I can't… even imagine what it would be like to lose someone you love like that…"

"It hurts," she whispered, sniffling "…so much."

Novik just nodded, waiting for her to be ready. If he was honest with himself he was thrilled that she felt she was able to open up to him after not knowing him for long. He only wished it were under better circumstances.

Drawing in a ragged breath, Katara turned a grateful smile towards Novik. "Thanks."

Really, she was coping incredibly well with her loss. He briefly wondered if maybe she had been through it before and stilled at the thought.

_Da. That would make sense._ She had developed coping skills in the past and now had to drag them out once again.

"You know, Katara. There is a bright side to all of this…" he started, "At least you got the chance to be in love… to have someone love you back." Novik turned away from her, gazing across the sea. "What if she was my chance, Katara? I sometimes wonder if she was the one I was destined to be with, and I never had the chance to find out…I wish...Arg!" he clenched his fists.

Katara turned to the warrior, completely serious. "Everything happens for a reason, Novik. They feel so good at the time, and the memories you will treasure for always, but then it can hurt like hell and feels so unfair when it is all taken away.

"But you know what? Even though you feel like you have been wrongfully cast from heaven into hell in just a few seconds," she took a breath, "you know that you wouldn't have traded those happy moments for anything. _Anything_."

Katara smiled tightly. "That's how I keep myself going. I had my moment of happiness, now I need to pay the spirits back and do my part to achieve peace… perhaps then the spirits will allow me to move on." She chuckled dryly. "Maybe Aang can put his two cents in for us."

Novik exhaled. "But I never got my chance with her. I… its just… harder than I thought it would be."

Katara placed a hand on his shoulder. "Life was never meant to be easy, Novik. Else there would be no struggle between Good and Evil. They would both just get what they wanted… but it wouldn't work out, because you can't have both prevailing. It's either _one_ or the _other_."

Novik grimaced. "It would just be easier if there wasn't any evil at all…"

Katara chuckled, nodding her agreement. They both stood in comfortable silence for a moment, each mulling over the conversation.

Novik had left the Northern Water tribe in search for excitement, adventure and possibly romance, spirits willing, less than 6 months ago. He had been discontent in his stable, relatively war free life, whereas Katara here was probably longing for such a lifestyle.

In any case, he had not found what he was looking for and had been returning to the Northern Water tribe grudgingly; almost angry that he had not experienced half of what Katara had been through. Looking at her now, Novik realised how incredibly selfish he had been. He had left ungrateful and had been about to return ungrateful.

He felt like slapping himself.

Why had it taken Katara's heartache and sorrow for him to realise how blessed he had been in his life? And to be grateful for what he had. He was such an idiot.

It shouldn't have to take pain and loss to feel as though his life was worth something, to feel content and satisfied in what he had- stability and safety.

Perhaps it wasn't chance that he had offered Katara a ride to Ba Sing Se just a few days ago.

Taking a deep breath of ocean air, Novik silently placed his arm around her shoulders, a gesture of comfort between friends, nothing more.

**A/N: Yeah, it was pretty much Katara/Novik centred. And don't worry, I don't think I will get them 'involved' with each other, though there will probably be a bit of harmless flirting…hehe.**

**I will try to see what I can do about the Gaang, but I don't think much will need to be said as Aang had pretty much mastered firebending in episodes 16 and 17 and 18… I might write in Suki seeing as she plays a decent role in the ending.**

**Have no fear, I have already written the reunion between Katara and Zuko, so it won't be long now and we will once again have some spunky Zutara action on screen! It will probably take up the whole chapter. XD**

**PLEASE review! I felt like I didn't get as many last chapter and it made me very, very, very sad!**

**Thanks for reading :D**


	9. 9 Pravda Truth

**A/N: Hey all! Phew, has only been 8 days since my last update and already I have another chapter up!! I think I need a medal…lol**

**This chapter is full of Zuko-ness, and I hope he isn't to OOC, but, seriously, did you see that speech he pulled at the end of the series?! (I did see it as soon as it came out, but I didn't want to rant until I had mulled it over some more…heh) I was hoping it would be a neutral pairing for all characters at the end, though I was 99 sure it would be Maiko and Kataang (puke) I nearly had to look away at the Kataang smooch- come one, he's 12!**

**OK. Rant function disengaged.**

**Enjoy the chapter!**

**Oh, yeah, "Pravda" means "Truth" in Russian XD I just love the word...**

**Disclaimer: Yeah, do you think I could just disclaim the rest of the story cos it's seriously is getting painful to continuously remind myself I DON'T own Avatar: TLA no matter what I wake up thinking…**

Chapter Nine- Pravda (Truth)

_Never apologize for showing feeling. When you do so, you apologize for the truth. Benjamin Disraeli_

_A week later…_

"Ila!" Zuko called out, catching site of her further down the earthen corridor.

She turned her head but continued on down the passage, giving him a friendly smile as he caught up to her.

"Hey," Zuko started, slightly out of breath. "Have you seen Rune today? He was supposed to spar with me, but never showed…"

Ila shook her head. "Not today, though yesterday he said something about needing to do something for his trip to find Chace…he might have got caught up?"

"Oh," Zuko paused narrowing his eyes, _wait… Chace?!_

Reaching out, he grabbed her arm, turning the startled girl towards him.

"Chace?" he whispered a little too harshly. Zuko had never been privy to the name of Runes MIA wife, but now his stomach plummeted through the earthen floor.

Ila nodded slowly, eyeing him curiously. "Yes. His wife. Chace." At Zuko's only slightly less than horrified expression, Ila became rather concerned for the Fire Nation Prince. "Are you Ok, Prince Zuko?" She questioned.

"Where did Rune meet Chace?" he demanded. At her lack of immediate response, he tightened his grip on her upper arms, completely forgetting all about her comfort. "Where, Ila!"

She frowned, why was he acting like this? "Kets Ve: in the Earth Kingdom." She answered.

Zuko sucked in his breath, finally releasing his hold on her. "Impossible." He murmured under his breath. It couldn't be the same Chace, he thought almost desperately. Rune had become like a brother to him and was an excellent sparing partner, despite his lack of bending. The Tribe heir was almost unbeatable fighting hand to hand.

And now it was possible, no, almost certain that Runes wife had been murdered by Zuko's own future brother-in-law.

_What on earth are the odds?! Agni must hate me right now…!_Zuko thought, forlorn.

Ila touched his arm, her expression concerned. "Zuko?" She questioned quietly, slightly disturbed by the haunted look passing over the Prince's expression. He looked down at her, his gaze filled with sorrow and apprehension.

She glanced around before pulling the firebender into the closest chamber. Zuko sat down heavily on the couch, burying his head in his hands.

Ila was slightly dumbfounded. She had never seen Zuko act like this and she was starting to really worry. The girl sat down next to Zuko, resting a hand reassuringly on his shoulder.

"Zuko, what's wrong?"

He trembled under her touch before finally meeting her gaze. Her expression was so concerned for him that he almost shrugged off her hand. He didn't deserve it.

How would she see him when she knew the truth?  
Zuko struggled within himself. He had done some terrible things in the last four years since his banishment. Things he didn't want to relive. For surely, after Ila and Rune heard the truth they would never be able to forgive him. Hell, he was still struggling to forgive himself for what happened with Chace. So much so he had never even mentioned her to Katara.

He hesitated, knowing if he told them about her death, he would probably have to disclose how he knew her. Zuko was unsure he was ready to face the memories, despite it being almost two years since he had last seen Chace.  
But on the other hand, Rune and Ila deserved to know the truth about her. About how she died. _Why_ she died.

Keeping his gaze on the ground, Zuko uttered a phrase that Ila had to strain to hear.

"Ila, Chace is dead."

Her green eyes widened in shock as her hand flew to her mouth to cover the small gasp that escaped past her lips. "What…?" She gaped, searching desperately for a phrase… _anything_ coherent. "How, I mean, what? _Dead?!_" She turned her head away, blinking back tears.

Zuko's voice was low, weighed down heavily by regret and remorse. "I'm sorry…" his mouth opened and closed, trying to find the right words. But what can you say? "She… If I'd known…" he groaned, couldn't he do anything right? It was a curse, he was certain now. Was he destined to never do anything the easy way? Agni, he would settle for just doing the right thing!

"It was an accident." He finally forced out.

Ila looked at him, till in shock. "Who?"

Zuko looked at her. Was it worth risking Sokka's life? As she surely looked ready torture and kill the one who had murdered her sister-in-law. No. It wasn't. Despite leaving on less-than-desirable terms with Sokka, Zuko still saw the warrior as one of his closest friends. So instead, he just shook his head. "It doesn't matter now…"

What he wasn't expecting was the hand Ila suddenly propelled towards his face; he felt the sting of the slap right down to his little toes.

-(-)-

Ila stared at the Fire Nation Prince for a moment, trying to process what she had just heard._ How could he do that? How could he say he was sorry and then NOT tell me who killed her. Monkey feathers, if I ever get my hands on the cretin responsible, I'll... I'll…_ She paused in her thoughts. She gasped.

_It was _Zuko_! That was why he wouldn't tell me! Damn, that means I can't kill the person responsible! Oh, how I wish I could!_

So when Ila could think of no other way to resolve said issue she drew her hand back to slap the lying two faced son of a hog monkey square across his cheek. His _unscarred_ cheek.

_I hope that gives him a nice big ugly bruise!_ She thought indignantly as she angrily marched to her own room. Once inside, Ila sunk into her mattress as the pain in her heart poured out, a flood of tears broke free of their precarious restraints and sobs tore at her throat.

_Why would anyone kill Chace?!_ Ila mourned her in-law. Chace had always been an honourable, gentle soul, well deserving of the chance to live with Rune for the rest of her days, to have a dozen kids and to see this era of war come to an end. But now she never could.

* * *

Zuko knocked on the door to Sigrun's study. "Hey, ah, do you have a minute?"

Sigrun looked up from his stack of paper work. "Of course, Prince Zuko. What's on your mind?"

Zuko lowered himself into one of the chairs opposite the Tribe Master. "Actually, I have a couple of questions."

Sigrun frowned. "Rune can't help you?"

Zuko rubbed the back of his neck as the beginnings of nervousness settled in his belly. Something he was neither comfortable nor familiar with. "Erm, not with these ones, Sir."

From the way the Tribe Master raised his eyebrow, Zuko knew he had captured his attention… intrigued him, so to speak. "Oh?"

Taking a deep breath, Zuko contemplated which to address first, which would be safest.

"Yes. Well, firstly, I would like to send a letter to one of the people in the Avatar's group," As Sigrun's eyes narrowed, Zuko quickly proceeded, "I know that I am supposed to be 'dead,' but I need to let Katara know that I am alive."

Sigrun's expression turned sceptical. "And what do you hope to do once she is aware, Prince Zuko?"

"Nothing, Sir."

"Uh huh. And why does she, of all people, need to know that? Aren't there people more important to the War that should be informed?"

"To the War, probably… but to me? None."

"I see. I'll tell you what, Prince Zuko; I will think about it and let you know." He lent forwards, clasped hi hands together on his desk. "Now, what else was there?"

Zuko scowled at the abrupt change of subject, but played along. "Fine, I don't quite know how to say this, but…" he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ah, Ila mentioned this morning that Rune's missing wife was Chace." he paused, gathering his thoughts, wit and all diplomatic skills he had ever acquired. "And I informed her that she is dead."

_What diplomacy was shown there, Zuko?! Ugh, you're such a dolt._

But he had said it. Prince Zuko's dirty laundry was in the machine.

Sigrun's eyes flashed momentarily before returning to the usual tranquil green. "Why would you say that?"

"Because it's true." Zuko shrunk back inwardly, trying not to let on how anxious he really was in front of the Tribe Master.

"I see. And what, pray tell, led you to this information?"

"I saw her. It's why I was handed to the Ba Sing Se prison. Sokka thought I had somehow sent her to assassinate Aang." If the situation wasn't so serious, Zuko probably would have rolled his eyes at the memory of Sokka. He could be such a block head.

Sigrun's expression was stoic. Apart from the initial flash in his eyes the Tribe Master had shown no other emotion since Zuko had informed him of his daughter-in-laws fate. Did he even care?

"Why did he think that?" Sigrun questioned.

"I… knew her, a while back- during my banishment. She came into our camp to attack Aang when Sokka killed her…"

Sigrun frowned. "Again, I ask, how did he connect her to you?"

Zuko squirmed, a tad uncomfortable under the Masters gaze. "I guess because I was upset when I saw her dead…" he closed his eyes briefly, trying to recall exactly what Sokka had said.

CueFlashback

"_She was an assassin sent to kill Aang." Sokka stated. "Don't you know her, Zuko?"_

_Quietly, Zuko walked over to the woman and gasped upon seeing her face. How could he forget the silky black hair, milky pale skin and now empty, but still golden eyes staring up at him. He never thought he would see Chace again. His companion for a year in his banishment, the only real friend he had ever had before joining the Gaang. How ironic it was that his friend from the past was now causing a rift between him and his friends of the present._

"_Chace" he whispered his voice barely audible, squeezing his eyes shut. "No…no…" Zuko knelt down next to her and rested his head in his hands, unable to look at the girl or his companions. He could feel his heart clenching in his chest, the pain of losing someone you love._

_Sokka spoke "Do you deny knowing her?" Zuko shook his head. His first friend he made on his own._

"_She said you were to protect her." Zuko nodded. She had been shaken up so bad, and Zuko, strangely enough was the one she allowed herself to trust again._

"_I promised her." he whispered, raising his head to look at the small group. "And I didn't…"_

_He had let her go. She had found true love and Zuko had entrusted her to the boy, although he had only seen the 17 year old from a distance. She had pleaded with him to let her go. And he did._

_And now she was dead._

EndFlashback

"She also mentioned me when she died. I had promised I would always protect her…" he frowned, adding "I have no idea why she remembered that, I haven't seen her in two years…"

Sigrun looked thoughtful seeming unconcerned of his daughter in-laws recent death, "You are sure she is the same girl?"

Zuko nodded numbly. "The times all fit, Runes description…" What else could he say?

_Jeez, Sigrun, it's my entire fault. If I had just left her begging on the streets of Caius, none of this would've have happened… She probably would have died long ago, but hey! At least Sokka wouldn't have killed her._

Yeah, that would be good.

"What were you expecting to do once you told me, Prince Zuko?"

Zuko cringed, this time visibly. "I was ah, hoping you would allow me to locate and cremate her body, as is traditional in the Fire Nation."

Sigrun looked at the Prince thoughtfully for a few moments. "I see. Wait here."

The Tribe Master walked to the door and called to Rune. Fortunately… or unfortunately, the assassin wasn't far and the two re-entered the camber.

Rune started slightly at the sight of the Fire Nation Prince sitting in the room already, but was even more wary of Sigrun's grim expression.  
As Rune situated himself in the chair next to Zuko's Sigrun addressed his son.

"Rune, your excursion to look for Chace has been cancelled as of this moment."

Rune shot to his feet, intent on protesting the matter, but held his tongue when the Tribe Master held his hand up, signalling him to be quiet.

"The mission is no longer needed as Prince Zuko has provided her whereabouts."

Rune plonked back down on his chair, half from relief, and half from dread. "Where?" he whispered.

Zuko answered for Sigrun. "The Western Air Temple"

Rune looked desperately to his father. "When can I leave?"

"Tomorrow. But Rune, listen to me," he said as his son began to rush out of the room. "The last Zuko knows of her, she was dead."

Runes face paled, the blood seeming to evaporate from his body, his eyes harboured pain and sorrow. Zuko looked away. This was probably how Katara had looked when she had found out about his own 'death' and Zuko found it was far too painful to watch.

"What?" the assassin choked out around his grief. "How?" He turned to Zuko, an accusing glint in his eyes.

Before Zuko knew what was happening, Rune had stormed up to him and yanked the Fire Nation Prince out of his chair by his collar. With the assassins face only inches away from his own, Zuko watched as the sorrow in the boy's green eyes quickly turned to rage. A rage he was intent on using to make Zuko pay for such dire news.

Involuntarily, a low growl escaped Zuko's throat and he found himself glaring back into Runes eyes. A silent challenge.

"_Enough_!" Sigrun bellowed. "Rune, unhand the Prince immediately!"

It was as if a switch had been flicked in the assassin's eyes, the fierce rage dissipating back into controlled sorrow. Tentatively Zuko rubbed his neck as he took a step back from his friend.

"Sorry, Prince Zuko. It won't happen again." Rune apologised. Zuko was about to tell him not to worry about it when Sigrun bet him to speak.

"See that it doesn't." The men all returned to their respective chairs upon Sigrun's serious words.

Once seated, Sigrun resumed his pose as Tribe Master, intending to conduct the rest of the brief with civility. But the Tribe Heir had other ideas. Turning to Zuko in his chair, the Prince was shocked by the amount of pure rage stamped in the others eyes. "What did you do to her?"

Zuko glared right back. "I didn't touch her, she did it all by herself."

"Did _what_, exactly, _Prince Zuko_?" Rune practically spat the title at the Prince.

Rune was pushing Zuko's buttons all the wrong way. He could feel the annoyance with the assassins accusations turn quickly to frustration and was now morphing into outright anger. If the boy kept this up he was going to be burned. "Got herself killed."

Rune flinched visibly as the young Prince practically spat his wife death in his face. For a moment Zuko felt a pang of regret for throwing that in his face. It was a low blow. Chace was the one Rune loved, the one he had chosen to spend the rest of his life with.

Just like Zuko had chosen Katara.

If their positions had been reversed, Zuko surely would have burnt everyone close by and most probably the entire chamber down to ash. Possibly the entire house.

All of a sudden, Zuko saw Rune in a different light. Not as the Tribe heir, or the assassin, neither was he just Zuko's friends, Ila's brother, Sigrun's son. But as a widower, someone hurt by the War, a boy who had just turned 18 and was now being torn apart from the inside at the horrific news of his true loves death.

Now Zuko saw the glint in Runes eyes, not as anger, but pained tears.

He softened his gaze as he looked at his friend.

"I didn't do it, Rune. She battled the Avatar and lost. I have no idea what actually happened."

Rune clenched his jaw and looked away, nodding stiffly. As he had mentioned to Zuko when they first met, Chace had hated the confines of the Tribe. She had often disappeared just to get away. Everytime Rune had given her a week on her own before going after her. He had understood her need for freedom; she had not been raised in the way of the Tribe and their way of life had been hard for her to adjust to. He had tried his best to keep her comfortable and happy and, after two years, Rune had hoped it would have become easier for her.

But it hadn't. Sigrun had warned Rune about her running off to who-knows-where, and so, this last time when Sigrun had forcefully suggested that he wait a bit longer to go get her. "Give her time to miss it… miss _you_" Rune had listened. Oh, how he could kick himself now. Perhaps if he had gone to get her like he usually did he could have saved her, brought her home.

But now, she was dead. Chace: his beloved wife, partner, and confidant… his freakin' _best friend_. Gone.

She had fought the Avatar and lost.

Leaning forward, Rune dumped his head in his hands, vainly trying to hide his teary eyes from the Tribe Master and Fire Nation Prince.

Emotion overwhelmed the boy, constricting his throat, squeezing his heart.

He felt rather than saw Zuko move toward him and place a light, comforting hand on his shoulder, rubbing soothingly. At the sincerity of the gesture, a muffled sob escaped Runes throat.

As he tried to further stifle his weeping, he felt two arms encircle his body surrounding him in a safe, strong, comforting hug. Strangely, it was his father who had placed his arms around Rune, and though he was surprised, maybe even shocked at the gesture, he was grateful for the strength his father gave him. In the embrace Rune found himself letting go. He let go of his dignity, pride and self control. So in the presence and embrace of his father and close friend, Rune's broke completely into a sobbing mess. Pouring out his grief, regret and anguish from his heart and into his father's shirt.

-(-)-

The sorrow of the hour nearly broke Zuko as he watched Rune weep. In his week in the Tribe, he had never seen an open display of emotion, and probably hadn't in his entire life. Though it was mostly Sigrun, Rune, Ila and a few Dai Li for the a few weeks, just to keep his rescue under wraps.

As the boy's grief trickled to a few sniffs, Sigrun pulled back from his son to look him in the eyes.

"Son, Zuko has offered to locate her body and cremate it." In an uncharacteristic motion, Sigrun smoothed Runes hair, much Zuko's mother used to do when he was ill.

Rune wiped up the last of his tears, straightening in his chair. "I will go."

Zuko looked at the boy. If it weren't for the blood shot eyes, you could have never known he had just spent more time weeping than he had in his whole life. Of course he had expected Rune to want to accompany him, and in a way he had hoped he would, but he wondered how easy it would be for him to sneak away to the Gaang without him noticing.

It was true, Zuko really did want to cremate Chace and give her the ceremony she deserved, but seeing Katara had been the drive behind the plan.

He was jolted from his thoughts by the Tribe Masters voice. "…Write that letter, Prince Zuko. You can deliver it while you are there." Zuko's eyes lit up and he almost smiled. "But, let no one, I mean NO ONE see you, OK?"

Zuko nodded. "Thankyou, Sir."

Sigrun stood up, returning to his usual self. He rummaged through a few draws before handing Zuko a piece of parchment, and ink. "Here. Use these- they can't be traced. Both of you be ready to leave first thing tomorrow."

At the indirect dismissal, Zuko and Rune both bowed to the leader exiting the room, each heading to their separate chambers for the night.

Once inside, Zuko sat at his desk to write the letter. He was unsure of how much he should say about the Tribe. Obviously he could say anything that might compromise his position…

Frustrated before he began, Zuko opened his own draw to pull out a few 'practise' parchments.

_Katara…  
__Hey, it's Zuko._

He frowned. At the offending line. It sounded much too much like the line he used when he first asked to join the Gaang. Moving his stylus down the page he started again.

_Hey Katara…_ too casual?

_Dear Katara…  
I know I am supposed to be dead, but I'm not._

_Ugh. This is_ painful!

_Dear Katara,  
I'm sorry that I died, but I actually didn't…_ huh. That sucked.

_My Dear Katara,  
I love you. I'm not dead. I will return.  
Zuko._

Too blunt.

The Prince screwed up the piece of parchment, hurling it into the farthest corner of his bed chamber.

What would Uncle say?

_Hmmm. Something about someone that somehow relates to… Ugh_. What would Katara want to know...?

_Truth._

Yes, he would tell her the truth.

With that thought, Zuko bent over the parchment Sigrun gave him, no longer feeling the need to practise. As he wrote, the words flowed from his heart, from the one place where truth was always known.

Satisfied, he rolled the letter carefully and placed it in his pack to take in the morning.

**A/N: I think this is my longest chapter in Corollary to date. It feels pretty good to have that many words on a page.**

**Might I remind you all that Dissension is up and running, I will be placing the new chapter of it up in a few days. I personally really like where the story is going, and if not too many people object, I may bump it up to an M rating… though there won't be any lemons or similar material in it. The rating will be for themes mostly, I would think it still safe to read for anyone over 14. ATM it is still a T rating and I won't change it for a few chapters yet.**

**I would LOVE more reviews on both stories, even as short as "Update soon!" gets my juices flowing. I am trying to spend more time on it and have the updates come much more regularly than before, and don't hesitate to boot me up the rear if I am really late XD**

**Cheerio!**

**Chip**


	10. 10 Just to Tease

**A/N: Yesh, this update is long over due, but when I went to write the story Katara kept arguing with me as to what she wanted to do in the chapter… (**_**She**_** wanted to run off and find Zuko ASAP, but I had to remind her that she thought he was dead XD) Yeah, she wasn't a happy camper. (-.-")**

**So after much struggle, cat fights, waterbending, keyboard bashing, wrestling, backspacing, heated discussions(read: 'shouting'), scribbling on notes and taking my frustration out on my horse (SORRY KODA!! xoxo Lub you!), I FINALLY prevailed, and managed to sit on her to keep her still while I typed this chapter… heh. It was HARD work, I tell you- She. Is. One. Strong. Diva!! And she is only in half of it… talk about a fuss over nothing. Ugh.**

**And… Ah, this quote, I am unsure of the… suitability… of it. But it just seemed to fit the friendship thing in this chapter. XD heh.**

_**Disclaimer**__: It should come as little surprise now that I don't own any of the ATLA canon characters in my "super-dooper-woopdy-looper-ally-ooper" story!  
(If anyone can guess where that particularly LONG word came from, I will give you FIVE cookies -o-)_

* * *

**Chapter Ten- Just to tease**

"_Friendship is like peeing on yourself: everyone can see it, but only you get the warm feeling that it brings." Unknown_

Katara walked out on deck of the water tribe boat. A few days back they had switched from their Earth Kingdom vessel to take a direct route to the Northern Water tribe. They should be docking there today and as she looked out across the horizon to start her water bending sets she caught a glimpse of the vast white ice plains she loved.

Watching the sun's rays touch over her sister tribe's lands, Katara's breath hitched in her throat. She had forgotten the sheer beauty of the land, the pristine white glistening under the gentle golden hues. Her water bending momentarily forgotten, the young water tribe girl leant against the rail of the ship, just admiring the view.

"It's still something, isn't it?" Novik's soft voice broke the gentle silence. She turned her head to watch as he walked over to stand beside her, and just smiled in response. "Everytime I sail past these shores, I remember how much I love this place- its home."

"I know what you mean," Katara looked back over the horizon. "The first time we came here, it was such a shock- I was amazed at all the waterbenders… and the houses!" she laughed softly, "It's incredible how much has changed since then…"

Novik noted the undertone of wistfulness in her voice. Things certainly had changed for the both of them; she was now a Waterbending Master, possibly the best in the entire world. And although he had not experienced half of what she had, Novik felt he had grown too, not just with his bending, but all round, as a person.

Speaking of bending, he hadn't had the opportunity to practise for a while now…

After a few minutes, Novik turned to her, eyebrow raised. "You want to spar?"

Katara raised her own eyebrow. "You bend?" she questioned, slightly surprised. Though she didn't know why; men from the Northern Water tribe were often waterbenders.

"A little." He replied, smirking playfully, "I'd like to test my skills against a real Master."

Katara turned to face him. "Oh, really? And how do you know I am a 'real' Master?" she used air quotes to emphasize her words.

Novik shrugged, "Well, you taught the Avatar…"

Katara smirked. "True… alright. You're on!"

Both benders drew into their fighting stances, summoning a water whip each. Katara's gaze raked over Novik's form. His stance was pretty good, but his arms were too far apart leaving his centre unprotected. Smirking at her opponent, Katara briefly remembered Aang doing exactly the same thing when she had started teaching him.

Testing his reflexes, she sent a quick water whip to his shoulder which he parried with ease. Her smirk deepened. This would be a good match- she hadn't had the opportunity to fight a waterbender for so long… not including Aang.

Novik picked up his game and sent two whips at her from either side. Katara used a circle of water around her to chop off the ends before it reached her. Gathering more water from the ocean, Katara sent a wall of water towards the warrior, him parting the wall just inches before it would have doused him.

For several minutes the two water benders threw whips, walls, waves and ice at each other. Each acquired a respectable number of grazes and bruises during the spar, Katara knowing she could heal the injuries, and Novik not wanting to be shown up too badly.

Finally, the two stood opposite each other, breathing heavily, soaked to the bone but not willing to stop.

"Give up?" Novik asked. "You're fighting a losing battle, girly!"

Katara scowled. "_Girly_? Jeez, Novik, you cut me deep!" She feigned hurt, clutching at her heart, "Too tired to think of a good insult?"

"Well, I don't see you coming up with any!" Novik grinned at his comeback, obviously proud of himself. Katara gave him that point. He was too tired to think of a good insult, she was too tired to think of _any_ insult.

"Huh, yeah alright mister," she scowled, "I'll give you that one."

The spar shifted from one between two waterbender's to verbal; neither willing to back down, both too tired to fight. "I should think so!" he raised his hands, clasped in mock victory, shaking them above his head. "All hail Novik of the Northern Water tribe; victor over the mighty Katara!"

Quickly, before her opponent could react, Katara sent a wave of water towards him, the force flattening him on the deck as she froze him down.

Katara laughed at him. "Who's the victor now, hey?"

Novik stared up at her, slightly shocked and colder than he had been for a long time. "Fine, I'll give you the spar," he grumbled, unfreezing his icy blanket and taking her offered hand.

"Thankyou." Katara pulled him up, bending the water off the both of them and the deck, depositing it back into the ocean.

"You know, I could've done that…" Novik commented.

Katara shrugged. "What's wrong with me doing it?"

"Nothing, I'm simply not used to girls bending for me…" he sighed in mock defeat. "Guess I will have to get used to it."

Katara smirked. "You sure will, I didn't become a Master bender for nothing, you know."

* * *

"Arnook!" Katara flung herself into the Northern Water tribe chief, hugging him tightly. The burly man looked down at her, torn between being happy to see her again, and his stoic, formal reputation she was murdering each second he let the hold linger. In the end he hugged her in a one armed embrace, before pulling her away.

"It's good to see you again, Katara. I hope you can stay a bit longer this time, and under less stress."

Katara laughed. "Me too!"

She stepped aside as Novik came up beside her to greet his chief. They greeted with a warriors handshake.

"Chief Arnook."

"Novik: welcome back." He looked over the young man. "I hope you found what you were looking for."

Novik held the gaze of his chief. "I am not sure yet, chief."

"Yes, well, you know that your actions have caused quite an uproar among the elders as of late."

Novik bowed his head. "I am sorry, chief." He looked back up, locking gazes with Arnook. "I _will_ take whatever punishment the elders see fit."

Katara cast a sidelong glance at him. What the heck was he talking about? Actions…? Punishment…?

"Ikali will be pleased to hear that you are back, Novik, and would insist that I invite you to have dinner at the Palace with us." A small smile tugged at the chiefs' mouth. "Not that I would have it any other way…"

Novik smiled. Arnook and his wife had always had a soft spot for the young warrior ever since his parents died years ago. The chief had been good friends with his father, and had taken it upon himself to look after the boy upon his passing. He had practically grown up with them as parents.

Arnook nodded gruffly, turning back to Katara. "You are welcome to stay in the Palace, Katara, and to attend the dinner."

She smiled gratefully. "That would be wonderful, thankyou Arnook." She turned to Novik. "I'll see you later?" At his nod she turned back to the chief, finding the man was already making his way towards the Northern Water tribe Palace. "Perhaps later we could have a rematch…!" she chucked back over her shoulder, running after the chief.

Novik grinned at the girl, watching her run after the chief. It was obvious that she had not been bound by any formalities while growing up, and he found her laid back, exuberant nature was refreshing. He envied her fiancé… to a degree.

As the water tribe warrior wandered almost aimlessly through the streets of the Northern Water tribe, just taking it all in, Novik suddenly realised how much he really had missed this place. The streets were bustling with everyday dealings and errands, the happiness of the native folk gave to a bright and cheerful atmosphere, the walkways, paths and houses pristine white. At times, when the water reflected at just the right angle, a gentle blue tinge would lend itself to the otherwise white surface.

In the few months he had spent in the Earth Kingdom, he had grown fond of the square, earthen buildings, the solid structures, and for a time had considered settling down there. But now he was back, and this time he was determined to stay. Although his somewhat happy mood was darkened by his thoughts of his impending appointment with the elders; the high ranked group of men who made all the important decisions in the Northern Water tribe.

Suddenly, the warrior found himself wrapped in a thick blue parka, the fur lining on the hood tickling his nose.

"Novik!" his attacker exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

Novik extracted himself from the embrace, grinning stupidly at his best friend. "Nice to know I was missed, Senu…"

"Yeah, well, I drew the short straw for that one!" the warrior chuckled in his ingenuity. Novik rolled his eyes. The guy hadn't changed a bit. He glanced around, looking for any sign of his other friend.

"Where's Reonet?" Novik paused in mock scepticism. "You didn't drive her over the cliff with your bad jokes, did you?"

Senu screwed up his face, "Ha ha, Novik, its good to see your sense of humour _hasn't_ improved…!"

Novik laughed, slapping his friend on the shoulder. "No, seriously." He said with a grin.

"Aw, way to ruin a moment, well she had to finish her shift at the medical centre. While you were gone she finished her training, you know?"

"Really? That's great! I always knew she had it in her…!"

Senu smirked dryly at his friend. "Everyone knew that, Novik, she has been healing all sorts of creatures since she was two…"

_Oh Yeah, that's right._ Novik's thoughts quickly shifted through the creatures that Reonet had often brought into the city for healing. The animals had ranged from baby leopard bears to penguins to fish… it had certainly been interesting to see what she would bring in each day. He smiled fondly at the memories.

"When does she finish, then?"

Senu rubbed the back of his neck, as if trying to remember something he wasn't supposed to forget. "Heh, well, she _did_ tell, me…but, ah…. Yeah. I forgot." He grinned widely at this, spreading his hands in innocence.

Novik looked at his friend, incredulous. "Senu, she gets off at the same time everyday, and you _forget_?" he shook his head. "Un-believable."

"Aw, man, you know my memory- I can't remember what undies I chucked on this morning, let alone anything else!" He slung his arm around Novik's shoulder, pulling him closer, as if to tell him a secret. "Last week, I almost forgot where I lived" He glanced around, making sure no one else was listening. "I spent hours wandering around the market place just to make it look like I wasn't! By the time I got home I had missed dinner…!"

Novik shook his head, chuckling at his best friend. "You'll never change, Senu. What you need is either a good woman to sort you out, or a mighty long notepad to help out your questionable memory…!"

Senu smiled sheepishly, looking down. "I had a notepad, but I forgot where I stuck it…"

Novik just rolled his eyes. Among the Northern Water tribe folk, Senu's dreadful memory was infamous. A long time ago, people had just stopped relying on him to pass on messages, often finding it was more reliable to just do it themselves.

"So how is Reonet, anyway? Or have you forgotten that too…?" Novik teased.

Feigning hurt, Senu answered "Of course not, Novik! How could you think that of me?!" he paused, rubbing the back of his neck. "She is real good." He looked down, most of his playfulness suddenly gone from his disposition. "I have to tell you something, Novik, and I hope you won't be upset…"

Novik frowned at his best friend, instantly attentive. It wasn't often that Senu could utter a serious sentence, but Novik had learned long ago to listen when he did. "'Course not, Senu. What's up?"

Senu gazed over the channels of water flowing through the street, feeling the serene energy carried in the liquid. "While you were gone, Reonet and I spent a lot more time together… alone… and decided that we really liked each other, so," he exhaled, and Novik could see where this was going. He had always thought there was more than just friendship between his two best friends… and now it seemed as though they had come to realise it too.

Senu continued, "About 4 months ago I realised that I couldn't imagine my life without her… and so I asked her father if I could court her…he said yes."

Senu looked back up at Novik…who was… _smirking?_ "It's about time, buddy."

Slowly, a smile tugged at the corners of his face, obvious relief washing over him. "Y-You don't mind?"

Novik laughed, "Are you kidding me?! Senu, I have been waiting for you two to get together since we were ten!" He wiped pretend tears from his eyes. "I'm so happy…"

Senu chuckled. "Me too."

A moment later Senu turned to Novik, frowning. "You figured it out eight years ago and you never told me?" his expression sulky. "Sheesh, Novik, you could have saved me a lot of worry if you had just said something!"

"Where would the fun in that be? I had years of fun getting the two of you to blush!" he sniggered. He would definitely be continuing this particular tradition…

Novik slung an arm around his shoulders, walking towards the medical centre. After a few minutes of walking, he turned to Senu.

"So," he started casually, "What's she like?" He winked at him.

Senu's mouth dropped in shock. Novik laughed.

"Novik! That's… that's…" he sputtered, scandalised, "_indecorous_!"

Novik sniggered. "Don't worry, Senu," he reassured his friend. "I was just teasing you… Like she would let you do anything indecent."

He ducked away from a fairly decent swing at his shoulder, the blow just glancing off his flesh.

"Nearly, buddy, keep trying."

Senu scowled, wagging his finger at his friend. "One day, Novik," he threatened, "One day, I will get you…"

"Sure you will…" he drawled.

Upon reaching the medical centre, they made themselves at home in the waiting room. Growing up together, the three of them were more than accustomed to Novik and Senu waiting for Reonet to finish up.

A comfortable, familiar silence lapsed between them, as it so often had during their childhood.

"Hey, Novik…" Senu started, "Why'd you leave, anyway?"

Novik sighed. It was the question he had been asking himself since he had decided to go. "I don't really know myself yet." He gazed across the room. "At the time I thought it was to help with the war… but now…" He frowned. "After Kady died, I guess I just didn't have a purpose here…"

"You know that the elders aren't going to be happy, right" he looked sympathetically at Novik. "They will want to discipline you…"

Novik exhaled loudly. "I know." He grimaced. "I'm not really looking forward to it…"

Senu lightly punched his friends shoulder. "Who would? Those old quacks need to step down and let someone better looking take to the podium!"

Novik smirked, eyebrow raised. "Now, who would that be, Senu? You?"

"Are you saying I'm _vain_, friend? I'm hurt." He huffed.

Novik rolled his eyes. "Not at all… I was actually hoping you were going to nominate me," he slicked his hair back, "considering I _am_ the best looking of you all…!"

"Psh, you wish, buddy. I know you have struggled in the past, but really _I_ am the most handsome… _you_ are just… ah… _mediocre_ in comparison." Senu leant back, impressed with his vocabulary.

"What!" Novik exclaimed, playing along. He quickly jumped to his feet, poking his own chest with his thumb. "Clearly _I_ am-"

"You two will never change, will you?"

Both men whipped their heads towards the door to see a stern faced Reonet. Her long hair was twisted into a simple braid, and though her expression was firm, her sapphire eyes held amusement.

"I knew that the second you came back, Novik, that the patients would start complaining of all the noise again!"

Novik and Senu both smiled sheepishly at their friend. Novik was the first to move. He stepped closer to Reonet, opening his arms to hug her.

Before the healer could do anything about it, she was engulfed in a tight hug. Just to tease her, Novik held the embrace longer than necessary, making sure he squeezed every last drop of oxygen out of her. After several long minutes, Reonet gasped out.

"OK, Novik, missed you too." She scowled when his grip didn't lessen and looked pointedly at Senu; who just shrugged and pretended not to see her mouthing "help" to him.

Finally, she got irritated with the both of them acting like children, "Novik if you don't let go of me right now, so help me I will _not_ be making any kind of food for you tonight."

Novik's grip loosened a little, him being torn as to whether annoying her this much was worth him having to cook his own dinner… or worse, having Senu help.

But then, Arnook had told him to eat in the Palace…

Seeing the battle he was going through, Reonet appealed to her other friend over his shoulder. "Senu, get this lump of a friend off of me, or I will…" she paused dramatically. "I will _not_ heal you next time you get your butt whipped in training."

Senu scowled, "But I-"

She glared at him. "I will tell _everyone_ else not to heal you _aswell_!" she added.

He grimaced. "Ok, Novik, time to let her go now…" he walked up behind him. "I'll give you to the count of three…"

Novik just smirked at him. "I don't think so… I have 6 months of hugging to catch up on!"

"One…" he took a step towards Novik from the back, "…two…" another step, and he raised his hands, Reonet rolled her eyes, "…THREE!" Senu lunged forward, jabbing his fingers into his friends' ribs, startling Novik into releasing Reonet who promptly danced out of reach.

"Aw, look what you have done, you loon! She got away…!" Novik exclaimed in mock anger.

"You were taking too long as it was, Novik! I was getting hungry!"

Novik snorted. "More like jealous!"

"Hey! Just bec-"

"Guys!" They were cut off again by Reonet, who directed her gaze pointedly to the patients trying to rest. "Not here."

"He started it…!" Senu pointed at Novik, who rolled his eyes.

"Oh, yeah, real mature, Senu, blame the better looking warrior." He flexed his muscles, wiggling his eyebrows.

Reonet groaned, covering her eyes with her hand when Senu scoffed, readying himself for the impending debate. "Back where we started" she muttered, grabbing Senu's hand before he could reply. "Come on you!"

Novik watched the two in amusement; anyone could tell that they were made for each other… which was probably why Senu was the only one to ask her father for her hand. Really, if you ask to court a girl, you are essentially agreeing to marry them. Having many partners was generally unheard of in the Northern Water tribe as there was no point pursuing a relationship if you weren't intending on marrying said girl.

"Come on, Novik!" Reonet called. "What do you want for your 'Welcome Home' dinner?"

Novik hurried to catch up with them. "Ah, Reonet… do you mind if we have dinner at the Palace? Arnook has already invited me… and a friend of mine will be there."

That stopped her. She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "That depends…" she said. "Is your friend… female?"

Novik's eye twitched. What kind of a question was that? "Ah… yeah…"

Her eyes brightened immediately. "Really? We will definitely be there!"

Novik grinned. "Great! You guys will love her."

"Is she your _girlfriend_?" Senu asked in a singsong voice.

"No." he replied simply. Though it was obvious neither friend believed him when they exchanged meaningful looks.

Novik ignored the sly look in Reonets eye, walking towards the training ground. "Ready to get your butt whipped, Senu?" he called, rubbing his hands together. There was a certain satisfaction one got from burying your best friend in sixteen feet of snow, and there was a lot of missed sparring to make up for.

Senu held back a whimper, Novik tended not to hold back will fighting against him… and he rarely ever won. He reached out and grabbed Reonets hand, pulling her close to his side to whisper in her ear. "You'll heal me before dinner, right Sarichka?"

She nodded, leaning up to give him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Come on, you two! No smooching in public areas!" Novik yelled back to them, despite the fact that there was next to no-one around.

Senu snickered. "I wonder if we will be saying that to him later on, eh?"

* * *

**A/N: Ok. Well, this chapter ended up being Novik-centred because Katara was being quite the cow about her story line. Next chapter, I will hopefully do half Zuko, half Katara.  
I know this isn't exactly the longest chapter I have written, but I have a huge horse show on this weekend, and the weeks leading up to it are always hectic. I will try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can, but, really, Katara is being quite immature and unreasonable. (-.-')**

**I was overjoyed with the amount of reviews I got last chapter, and would just kill for some more. So if there are any unsolved murders between now and the next chapter, you can blame all those folk that DIDN'T review…!**

**Cheers!**


	11. 11 Always Be There

**A/N: M'kay, remember how last chapter I said there would me many, many unsolved murders if folk didn't review…? Well, I think that I may have just knocked off everyone who read the damn story, bar one….! –scowls- Don't make me do the whole "I-want-so-many reviews before I update!!"  
Well, this turned out to be a Katara chapter, but don't worry! Zuko is (indirectly) in here also. And yes, you will be seeing some Zutara action this chapter! :D  
The quote for this chapter is a song by Josh Groban who just so happens to be my new favourite artist :D He's the guy who sings "You Raise Me Up" yeah, everyone knows that one…haha.**

**Disclaimer: Ahem –clears throat- It has come to my attention that, despite my best attempts at murder, hostile takeovers, coups, and throwing fits, Avatar: The Last Airbender STILL doesn't belong to me… -tear-**

**Chapter Eleven- Always Be There**

"_Who can say for certain? Maybe you're still here… I feel you all around me, your memory's so clear… As my heart holds you, just one beat away, I cherish all you gave me everyday. 'Cause you are my Forever love, watching me from up above…" To Where You Are by Josh Groban_

Katara awoke to the sound of soft knocking on the door to her suite in the Northern Water tribe palace. The room was somewhere in between a lavish bedroom and a small apartment. When Arnook had opened the door for her earlier in the day, she had gasped in awe as she walked through the living area. Off the left hand side was her bedroom, large and spacious, overlooking the ocean, filled with pelts and furs to keep her warm during the cold water tribe nights. To the right was a serene, tastefully decorated bathroom containing a large tub made of glass, a basin and a low latrine. Thankfully, the Northern Water tribe had thought to import woods for surfaces touched by places you would rather not have frozen.

The wholes suite was decorated in shades on blue and white, furs lined the couches and beds, the floors were littered with mats, some animal skin, and some plant material. Katara had toured it alone, knowing she would probably be spending the next few months here, among people of her sister tribe. Arnook had things he needed to do anyway, but he promised he would send someone to fetch her for dinner. Which, apparently, was now.

"Coming! Give me a few minutes!" she called from her bedroom through the door.

Surprisingly, a female voice answered her. "Master Katara, Chief Arnook sent me to help you dress…"

Katara groaned into her fur pelts. Couldn't she just wear her ordinary outfit?

Still a tad grumpy, she rolled out of bed to open the door.

_Best to get this over with…_ she figured.

She blinked as not one, but _five_ girls poured themselves into her room, immediately pulling, primping and smoothing her appearance. Fortunately she was pushed behind a changing screen to slip a new robe on. It was in the designs of the Northern Water tribe, similar to the Southern Tribe, but a darker blue and higher quality material. Clearly the Northern Water tribe had busied itself in trading with the Earth Kingdom for finer material.  
Katara briefly considered sneaking the outfit into her pack when she left.

After what seemed like half the night, the five women finally let her out the door where she was instantly escorted down to the dining room by one of the warriors. He looked vaguely familiar, but she shrugged it off. Naturally, when she had been here last winter, Katara had noticed her fair share of handsome young warriors… perhaps he had been one of them?

Soon, they reached the dining room, and as the guard at the door announced her arrival, Katara suddenly realised that this might be a fancier than a simple meal with the Chief and Novik. As she stepped into the room, her eyes fell immediately on the long, low table don't he centre of the room. It was filled with more water tribe delicacies than she could ever imagine. It almost made her forget the eyes staring at her.  
She blushed lightly, bowing her head respectfully at the chief before taking her pace around the table. To her surprise, the escort moved to sit beside her.

"Do you mind, Master Katara?" he asked at her questioning and slightly confused look.

She shook her head and gave him a warm smile. "Of course not…" she trailed off.

The warrior smiled in return, taking his place next to her. "Hahn." He provided.

"Hahn." She repeated, somewhat finishing her previous sentence. But wasn't he that warrior betrothed to Princess Yue, that ego driven pompous-

Her thoughts were interrupted by Arnooks voice. "I believe you two have met before…?" he enquired.

Katara's eyebrows furrowed. Had they? Before she could answer herself, Hahn jumped in. "Not directly, Chief. I was with her brother when we were preparing for the siege." He glanced back at Katara. "He had some very… helpful… ideas on how to stage the campaign."

Arnook nodded as Katara used the opportunity to study the other occupants at the table. At the head of the table was Arnook, with Novik to the left, and Hahn to the right. She found it odd that Novik was on the left hand of the chief. It showed that he had important standing in the tribe… Hahn on the right was understandable, as he had been betrothed to Yue. On the other side of Katara sat Arnooks wife, Ikali, tending to a small baby boy she could only assume to be the new heir to the Northern Water tribe. But what drew her interest were the man and woman sitting next to Novik. She caught Novik's eye across the table and sent him a questioning glace, practically pleading him to introduce her.

Novik laughed at her expression. He had been wondering how long it would take before she would ask to be introduced. She really was too curious for her own good. He nudged his friend, drawing Senu's attention from Hahn and Reonets from Ikali.

Quickly he made the introductions to Katara and as they started uninteresting small talk Arnook rose to make quick speech. He raised his goblet in front of him and cleared his throat.

"I would like to welcome, firstly, Master Katara back to the Northern Water tribe. She was a great help along with her friends in defeating the Fire Nation last winter, almost twelve months ago. I hope she will be planning on staying for our annual Lunar festival in a few weeks." He looked at Katara, and she nodded her head once. She might as well. "In addition, I would also like to welcome back one of our own warriors, Novik, as he returns from the Earth Kingdom. And lastly, I would like to congratulate Senu and Reonet on their betrothal; may your marriage be filled with less bickering than your friendship has been!" To which everyone chuckled politely at as Arnook settled back down on his seat and indicated for his guests to begin their meal.

The light hearted chatter lessened somewhat as the meal progressed, sometimes the silence stretching on for minutes. But as far as anyone could tell, all the guests were comfortable around each other, perhaps this was more like a family gathering than a formal dinner, and for that Katara was glad. She had not been subject to the training and etiquette for a formal occasion and would have been hopelessly lost.

Watching this close group of friends interact, Katara was sorely reminded of the times the Gaang had sat around the campfire exchanging stories, views and humour. She was hit with a strange sense of longing to go back to those days that seemed unreachable, though in reality it had only been one month, Katara felt as though years had passed her by and those particularly happy memories were simply that; memories. With a pang through her heart, she realised that her most cherished memories included and revolved around Zuko; her mind immediately flashing back to the first time they had kissed.

CueFlashback

_It had been nearly a fortnight since Zuko had helped Katara avenge her mothers' death and since then the two had come together in close friendship. They were down by the river washing the dishes from dinner. Zuko had been too slow to 'un-volunteer' himself from helping Katara clean up, so while the rest of the Gaang scattered to god-knows-where, Katara had hauled his tired, whinging hiney down to the river to help her. Though, truthfully, Zuko didn't really mind helping out; it meant he was able to spend a bit of time with her without worrying about her brother getting all 'protective' about it. Since their 'field trip' Zuko had felt an increasing attraction to the young water tribe girl, which perplexed him. He had Mai back in the Fire Nation, but did it count that he had left her with nothing but a note? Did that count as a break up…? He often found himself if she was waiting for him to come back… but then his attention would be captured by Katara and all other thoughts were subconsciously banished from his musing.  
In a way he supposed it would be easier on both him and Katara if he just kept his feelings to himself, suppose she didn't feel the same. How bloody embarrassing._

"We're both looking for something  
We've been afraid to find  
It's easier to be broken  
It's easier to hide"

_So far the Fire Nation Prince had decided against letting her in on his little secret, but she was so damn cute it took all his self control to stop himself from kissing her right there and then. Why shouldn't he be selfish once in a while? Screw her brother. But then, if she rejected him, he wasn't so sure that he could handle that, whether his heart could take that blow and still continue beating. Somehow he knew it would be worse than when Mai broke up with him on Ember Island._

"Looking at you, holding my breath  
For once in my life I'm scared to death  
I'm taking a chance letting you inside"

"_Zuko…?" Katara called, noticing his glazed eyes staring at her.  
Zuko snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of her voice.  
"Sorry," he started, "I was distracted." He smirked at her blush, mostly to cover up his own at being caught out. At strangely sporadic times during the day and night Zuko would find himself being jolted out of his dazed thoughts of Katara. Sometimes, in his mind, they would be kissing, sometimes sparring, and at other times simply sitting in each other's company, but one thing Zuko knew for certain was that, while it was simple fantasies, he felt content and happy with himself, with her and with where he had taken his life. A far cry from the consuming anger __in him a few months back._

"I'm feeling alive all over again  
As deep as the sky, under my skin  
Like being in love, she says, for the first time  
Maybe I'm wrong, I'm feeling right  
Where I belong with you tonight  
Like being in love to feel for the first time"

_When Zuko proceeded to say no more than that, Katara scooted closer and rested her hand on his forehead, her brow wrinkled cutely in concern. He closed his eyes and shivered under her intoxicating touch._

"_Are you feeling alright?"_

_Oh, if only he could tell her. He opened his eyes, his breath hitched in his chest as her blue gaze locked onto hers. In her eyes he saw concern, friendship… something he was unused to, and it took his breath away. To think that after all these years of being hated, despised, that he had finally found a place where he had friends, where people cared for him and for what happened to him. It was overwhelming. Despite his barrier he had on his emotions, he felt an unfamiliar prickle behind his eyes, his golden eyes glassy as they were held captive by Katara's blue orbs. Her eyes promising him so much… that while she was still breathing, she would do everything she could to help his future, and his present become what he dreamed it would be._

"The world that I see inside you  
Waiting to come to life  
Waking me up to dreaming  
Reality in your eyes"

_Her brow furrowed further, alarmed at his teary eyes. She moved her hand to cup his scarred cheek, her gaze never leaving his. For some unknown reason she couldn't look away, she too was held captive in the emotions swimming in his golden eyes. In all honesty, Katara was slightly afraid by this development. Of all her friends, Zuko was easily the least likely to cry… or show too much emotion and she was unsure of how to proceed. It would be outright lying if she denied any sort of attraction to the Fire Nation Prince, he was now one of her closest friends, but she had truly never entertained the thought of being something more, so when Zuko slowly leaned forward and rested his forehead on hers she didn't completely understand why it was suddenly hard to breathe with him this close to her, but at the same time, there was no way she wanted him moving away._

"Looking at you, holding my breath  
For once in my life I'm scared to death  
I'm taking a chance letting you inside"

_Zuko relished the feeling of Katara being this close to him. If she rejected his advances tonight, there was no going back; he would never be able to pluck up the courage to get this close ever again. With their eyes still locked on each other he moved his arms to rest around her waist, subtly pulling her body closer to his. He breathed slowly, gathering courage from the crisp night air. A little by little, Zuko moved his lips closer her Katara's, fully expecting her to pull away any moment. But she didn't, she kept his gaze, and when his lips finally made contact, the tears in Zuko's eyes broke free._

"I'm feeling alive all over again  
As deep as the sky, under my skin  
Like being in love, she says, for the first time  
Maybe I'm wrong, I'm feeling right  
Where I belong with you tonight  
Like being in love to feel for the first time"

_When his lips covered hers, Katara's eyes fluttered closed. Of all the things that she had imagined happening, this was had definitely not crossed her mind. But as Zuko's lips lingered on hers, she found herself enjoying the brief caress. She had not been kissed like this before. Her only other experience was with Aang just before the invasion, and she had been so shocked she had not realised what was happening until it was all over. Since then she had been weighing the pros and cons of dating the young Avatar against each other… But now, with the Fire Nation Prince kissing her, all thoughts of dating Aang flew out of her mind. Her senses heightened to a point where she could only feel, smell, and see Zuko in front of her. Instinctively her hands snaked up behind his neck, holding him to her as she tentatively moved her lips against his. And when she tasted his tears on his lips she pulled him closer, offering him comfort, affection and safety in her embrace, silently conveying to him that it was okay and that she would always be there for him._

"We're crashing  
Into the unknown  
We're lost in this  
But it feels like home_"_

_Zuko felt her silent promise in her embrace, and pulled back to see her expression, to see that what he had felt was not a hoax, some cruel sick joke. He almost expected it to be. But when his eyes caught hers, all he saw was honesty, affection, and it scared him slightly, that he was going to entrust his heart, his only possession his father had not been able to damage or take from him. But as he gazed into the hypnotizing pools of blue, he saw that she had done the same to him. Zuko realised that he now held her heart in his hands and he had never felt such a protective desire in him before. She was trusting him with such a fragile piece of herself he almost regretted his actions. Zuko was unsure of whether he was capable enough to take care of it for her. He didn't want to fail her.  
Katara saw the conflict in the Princes eyes, for what she was unsure, but she was pretty certain that he was scared. Scared of what such a bond may do to them. History isn't always kind to its subjects, and in Zuko's case, he had definitely suffered more than his fair share. The thought of his suffering brought tears to her eyes, and although she fought desperately to keep them back a few leaked out, startling Zuko. The Prince moved a hand up to her cheek to wipe the few tears away, giving her a wan smile. She saw they worry enter his eyes a smiled gently up at him before burying her face in his neck, holding him tight.  
Slowly, she felt him tentatively embrace her back, resting his chin on top of her head, holding her securely against him._

"I'm feeling alive all over again  
As deep as the scar that's under my skin  
Like being in love, she says, for the first time  
Maybe I'm wrong, I'm feeling right  
Where I belong with you tonight  
Like being in love, she says, for the first time  
Like being in love to feel for the first time"

_Neither Zuko nor Katara knew how long they stood there wrapped in each other's arms, it could have been a few seconds, it could have been a few minutes. But what they were both aware of was the feeling of pure contentment that came from the intimate act. Of letting someone else hold their heart and trusting them to not break it. What they knew was that from this moment forward nothing would be the same__; that they had stepped onto a path of love, happiness and safety; a path that promised to lead them home._

EndFlashback

"Katara." A hand waved in front of her face, another resting on her shoulder. "Katara!" The Water Tribe girl looked quizzically up at Novik, leaning down to her.

"Huh?" It was then she noticed the other occupants at the table, all looking at her, concerned.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his face full of concern. She shook the memory out of her mind. What good would it do anyway?

"Huh? Oh, Yeah." She shook her head again, just to make sure it was clear. "I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

Novik looked at her strangely. "You zoned out for a couple minutes and you were crying…"

She slowly reached a hand up to touch her face, and indeed it was slick with tears. Suddenly mortified, Katara hurriedly stood, turning to Arnook she gracefully excused herself and exited the room with what little dignity she had left. How bloody embarrassing.  
Once out of the Palace she started to run. She ran until she was puffing for her breath, the icy air feeling like a knife in her chest.  
When she eventually bothered to look around she found that she had ended up on top of the cliff behind the city. From here she could see the faint, soft glow of lights in the houses, the slow, relaxed pace of the townsfolk walking along the city streets. She could see for miles over the ocean, the horizon never once giving away what may be beyond it, taunting the curious and bold to take up the adventure, daring them to live a more exciting, dangerous life.  
She sat down on the ledge, letting her feet dangle over the edge as she looked out towards the horizon. She couldn't help but wonder what she would be doing right now if Zuko hadn't died, if the Gaang was still together. Actually, now that she thought about it, she wondered what the three remaining friends were up to. Perhaps she should have gone back to them after Ba Sing Se... Maybe she should still go back. They needed her. Perhaps she needed them too.

She sighed in frustration. Why did life not come with a manual? She was fifteen; she wasn't supposed to need to make decisions that affected the whole damn world! Had she been standing, Katara would have stomped her foot. Maybe it was for the best she had come here, just for a break. She could go back after this 'Moon Festival' thingit, and help save the world and then… she shrugged inwardly, then… she had no idea what would come after the war. Looking at her options, Katara supposed she could stay here, in the Northern Water Tribe, or go back to the Southern Water Tribe… but really, until a month ago she had placed her future wherever Zuko would have been; most likely in the Fire Nation…

Obviously, that option was now void.

So it was now down to either the Northern Water Tribe or the Southern Water Tribe. She supposed that the Southern Water Tribe would be the better option. It was her home and the tribe will need help being rebuilt… so it was the most logical option. Perhaps she could drag Novik down there to help her out.

Footsteps behind her alerted her to someone's presence, though she had a fairly good idea who it was.

Novik sat down next to her, mirroring her position. "Hey." He greeted softly.

"Hi." They sat in silence for a bit.

"You okay?" He asked, turning to look at her.

She nodded. "Yeah, just a bit embarrassed…" she smiled weakly.

He chuckled. "It happens every now and again. I've been in more embarrassing situations, believe you me…!" he paused. "Can't think of any right now, but…"

She laughed softly. "Thanks."

He looked at her. "For what?"

"Just being here. Helping me…"

He nodded, turning his gaze back over the horizon. "What are friends for?"

She nodded, closing her eyes and pulling her knees up to her chest. "Just… thanks."**  
**After a few minutes, Novik stood, extending his hands to her. "Come on. It's getting late. Reonet wants to take you shopping tomorrow for clothes for the festival." He rolled his eyes. "She thinks us 'guys' don't give an honest opinion…"

Katara took his hand and he pulled her up. "Sure, it will be nice to do something not related to the War for a change…"

Novik grinned. "I think you will find that shopping with Reonet is like a war in itself."

Katara cocked her brow. "She can't be that bad…?"

Novik scoffed, walking back towards the Palace. "You have no idea…! The War is nothing compared to her shopping habits!"

Katara's face fell. "From what I have seen of the War so far.. nothing can top that, Novik." She said quietly.

Quickly realising his mistake, Novik slung an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. "I'm sorry, Katara. I didn't mean-"

Katara shook her head, cutting him off. "It's alright; it's just been one of those days…"

"No worries." They came to a stop just outside the Palace doors. "You know where to go from here?"

She nodded. "Yeah, thanks again. 'Night." Novik returned the sentiment as she pulled out from under his arm and walked through the doors towards her suite for a good night's sleep.

**A/N: Haha. I bet I tricked you all with the "Zutara Action" bit at the start, eh? I am so damn sneaky o**

**Yeah, well, I was listening to the song (Which, btw, is First Time by Lifehouse; download it, its bloody brilliant!) when I thought up this scene… I was going to do an oneshot with it, but it just fit in my story, so there you go; their first smooch!**

**Also, I have am planning on a Zuko chapter next, then either another Katara, or the big reunion…! I think it will depend on how many reviews I get. Say… if I get OVER 5 reviews, I will move the reunion closer, but if I get LESS than 5 reviews, it will be quite a few chapters away yet. Mwah uh uh uh! Damn, I'm nasty!**

**Oh yeah, before I forget… again…heh… I am going to be editing the previous chapters over the next few weeks as the Victorian School Holidays start this weekend, and I won't have time to get a great chapter out… so I will have to do it bit by bit.  
Also, I deleted the Authors Note in the middle of the story, so now all the chapter numbers add up! Yay! OCD much? lol**

**So send me a quick review!**

**Cheerio,**

**Chip 8D**


	12. 12 Desire

**A/N: Hey readers! Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out, but I got the "5 or more" reviews which meant I had to do a super long chapter this time… Heh. Never doing that again…lol  
Anyway, this chapter follows Zuko and Rune to the Western Air Temple to cremate Chace's body. Now, I am not positive, but she has been dead for six to eight weeks. Uh, I don't know how many people have studied the decomposition of a body after death, but at this stage, it… well… it ain't pretty. I **_**may**_** be pushing the 'T' rating with a few descriptions of it… but hopefully it won't make you too queasy… I guess it depends on what type of person you are…**

**Meh, now that I have you all expecting something outrageously gruesome, let's get on with the chapter, shall we…?!**

**Disclaimer: Psh, as if I would lower myself to the slums of having… so… much…money… ugh…**

**Chapter Twelve- Desire  
****  
**_"Thanks for all you've done  
You still live in me  
I feel you in the wind  
You guide me constantly_

_You were as kind as you could be  
And even though you're gone  
You still mean the world to me"  
- In loving Memory by Alter bridge_

Zuko and Rune trudged along the back road to the Western Air Temple. They had, at the suggestion of Sigrun, chosen to take a path that would take them a few extra hours to reach their destination, but the chances of being noticed were significantly lower. At least they had ostrich horses to ride, but really, couldn't they have something a bit more comfortable...?

Despite them travelling for a full three days now, hardly a word had been said. To tell the truth, Zuko wasn't much into small talk and to him, the silence was comforting. Neither man was truly eager to get to the Western Air Temple, in all honesty. Both had a strong history with Chace, Rune's being more recent than Zuko, but facing her body 2 months after she died was going to be tough. Hopefully they will locate it quickly, build a makeshift funeral pyre and be able to cremate her quickly. Though these thoughts were said at the risk of sounding cold, both understood that it would not be pleasant for either of them.

To keep his head from the impending funeral, Zuko's thoughts constantly turned to Katara. He was so excited to be seeing her again, even if it was from a distance. He needed to reassure himself that she was okay, that when he could finally be with her again; there would be a person there to go back to, and not just an empty shell. However, if that happened, he would shove the world aside and help her heal. He would do whatever he needed to make her better; he would not, _could not_ fail her.

Beside him, rune brought his ostrich horse to a halt, his eyes distant, head cocked slightly. After spending weeks training with the assassin, Zuko recognised the signs of him using his Tribal hearing skills. From the looks of it, the followers were either far away, or being considerably cautious. Zuko had yet to see the Tribe skills in action as they had always sparred without their 'gifts' to even the field.

They were waiting for them by the side of the road. After travelling towards the Western Air Temple for days, Rune and Zuko were tired; it would have been the perfect time to plan an attack. If only the bandits had known whom they were dealing with, maybe they would have stood a chance. However, as it was, they did not know and the two travellers were anything but rusty.  
It was almost a shame, really, cutting the bandits down like that. It was obvious they were poor and desperate. In the last few years, Zuko had developed a soft spot for the less fortunate. The itch to help those in need had started with Chace, but the way that had backfired had made him less inclined to help anyone else.

The last memory he had of Chace was still a sore spot for the Fire Nation Prince. He had found out she was thinking of staying in Kets Ve with this person she had just met. In hindsight, Zuko vaguely remembered her pointing out the Tribe heir and his sister… that was probably why Ila had looked so familiar to him when they first met. At the time he had been starting to entertain the idea of a betrothal to Chace; with her father being one of the top Generals of his day, he had been quite certain that Ozai would have approved the match. That and she was the only girl he had been able to stand in his short life.  
Therefore, when Chace had said she might leave him for some other person, Zuko's anger had the better of him. So much so, that he had immediately launched his ship, leaving his only friend and a third of the crew in Kets Ve. After few days of sailing in some random direction and being badgered constantly by his 'all-knowing' uncle, Zuko's anger had receded somewhat and he had come to regret his rash actions. He _had_ doubled back then, though he told himself it was to pick up the crew members he had left behind… the sailors that had sailed with the ship had been worked to the bone under their Princes' bad mood and unstable temper.

It was a bit awkward, really, with the both of them attached to Chace. Rune had been surprised when he had heard that Chace had been taken in by a 14 year old boy and his uncle aboard a ship full of soldiers… without incident. It had only taken a few days for him to notice his strong attraction to the Fire Nation girl so he had suggested she come to live with his family in the Tribe. It must have been fate, he reckoned, as it had only taken him a few weeks to fall completely for the lively girl. It had however, taken longer for him to convince her that what he felt was true.

Maybe he had pushed her too hard.

Rune had known Chace wasn't entirely happy at being 'tied down' and the secretive ways of the Tribe had worn away at her.  
Perhaps this was why he had always waited a while, given her some time before he would bring her home.  
Although, once he found her, she was always excited to see him, and happy to follow him home. He had lost count of the amount of times Chace had grabbed his hand and pulled him after her, showing her husband the newly ploughed fields of grain she had helped with, or the recovering patients she had tended in Earth Kingdom infirmaries. In these times, he had seen a satisfied spark in her eyes that he always missed in the Tribe base. Twice he had offered to let her live out in one of the villages where she could do those things all the time and he would just visit whenever his duties permitted. But she had refused.  
Once she had said that as long as her body refused to carry a child for him, she would make it up to him by staying with him all the time. He saw how it hurt her to be underground for everything but some training, and in turn, it hurt him. He knew that she felt she had fallen short as a wife, but he had not known how to prove to her that she was all he had wanted, that he didn't need children to be happy with her. She had disclosed little of her past to Rune, only that she had lived on the streets for a few years in both the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation. It sickened him to think of all the things that could have been done to his wife. He had always been grateful to the boy, who had taken her bard his ship and left her with him in Kets Ve. But he deduced that the abuse from earlier on had left her unable to bear children.

But, nine months ago, Chace had discovered that she had indeed fallen pregnant. It was the miracle of the decade, as many healers had concluded she would never conceive. Chace had taken every precaution for the health of the baby; she was determined to deliver a healthy baby for Rune. But, only four months ago, when she was six months into the pregnancy, Chace had hit complications. Healers had been called in, but it ended in a situation where Rune had to choose: his wife or the baby. Chace, at that moment had been his first priority… he didn't know how he would cope if she had died.  
Now, when they should have been celebrating their baby's one-month birthday, he was in the situation he thought he had avoided four months prior.

o.o.o

The Earth Kingdom country side really was beautiful; the hills where covered the lush grass, and dotted sparsely with pretty flowers. She was taking a walk around the Tribe's base boundaries… for no other reason than to think. The trees had just started to change colour on preparation for the coming cooler months. All these changes, Ila noticed, where not new, but brought renewed hope this year in particular. This year, at the end of summer, the Avatar would have finished learning the elements, and would face the Fire Lord. Of course, Zuko would then have to leave to assume the throne, which would be a significant blow on the number of desirable men in the Tribe base. Naturally, Ila had harboured a crush on the young Prince, as had every other girl in the Fire Nation, and had often dreamt of marrying the heir.  
She would have been able to fulfil her duty of protecting the heir _aswell_ as her childhood fairytale.  
Though it was hardly likely her father would have approved of the match, the Tribe Master had humoured her for a few years, often using her future Beau as a means for her to train more. Ila understood, she really did, that he was simply trying to keep her from harm, she reminded him too much of her mother for Sigrun to take her skills seriously. But Ila had been trained in the way of the assassin since she could follow instruction. And while her classmates had been taking missions for years, she had only been offered the nurses shift in the Ba Sing Se prison and even then she had been pulled out before anything exciting had happened. Rune had taken her place to rescue the Prince.  
As much as Ila loved her father, she often wished he would just allow her to do what she had been born, raised and trained to do: protect the Fire Nation heirs. He hadn't even allowed her to travel with them to cremate Chace's body.

It wasn't often, but sometimes, Ila was sure her father was out to make her life miserable. It was only in the last year, when Zuko had returned to the Fire Nation, that Ila had learned a Tribe member had been planted close to him, to date him. To protect him in becoming his consort: the coveted position of Fire Lady.  
In many ways, Ila was jealous of Mai. Not only was she closer to being married to the most powerful man in the world, but her father had picked the girl for the mission over his own daughter. Granted, Mai _was_ a respected member of the Tribe… but Ila was the _same age _as the Princess, whereas Mai was a year older…

Among other things.

Although she understood that it was risky to send in someone as highly skilled in the Tribe ways as herself, it still hurt.  
Mai was such an ordinary character… with her bored expressions, strict upbringing, and flawless aim with shuriken and kunai. There was no fun- no challenge.  
But, apparently that's what Zuko went for. Ila grudgingly had to admit that they made a pretty good looking couple, and everyone in the Fire Nation supported the relationship.  
Idly, Ila wondered whether the Fire Nation would be just as supportive of Zuko's new girlfriend: this Katara character.

She didn't remember ever laying eyes on the water bender, but based on Zuko's attraction to Mai, Ila guessed she couldn't be all that. She wondered why Zuko wouldn't go for someone more like Chace: full of fun and character. Or someone who wasn't perfect in the stiff ways of nobility, who wasn't used to being doted on hand and foot.  
Someone more like Ila.  
Although, for all these thoughts, Ila was still upset at Zuko for what happened to her sister-in-law. It wasn't rational, she understood that. Rune had explained to her what had happened before he had left yesterday morning, and although it eased some of her lust for revenge, she still placed a lot of the blame on the Fire Nation Prince.  
But on the other hand, it had drilled into Ila since she was born; to protect the Fire Nation heir at all costs. So while her feelings towards Zuko were less than friendly, her duty to the Tribe would not allow her to act upon it.

If Zuko was serious about the water bender, then Ila would support him.  
Anyhow, after spending as much time as she had with the Prince, she had realised he wasn't exactly the knight in shining armour that she had thought he was.  
Kudos to Katara if he was hers.

Ila had tried to imagine the girl as a gold-digger, whore or something equally as demeaning that many times it was getting ridiculous. But it always came back to her Water Tribe heritage and his status in the Fire Nation.  
From what Ila knew of the Water Tribe's, none of the women would be brave -or crazy- enough to betray their nation like that… regardless of Zuko being on their side now. He had turned on them before; after all… not to mention the years he spent hunting the Avatar.  
Maybe the girl was just desperate. The women from the Water Tribe's were beautiful in that exotic way, with their tanned skin, dark hair and blue eyes. But the rumours surrounding Katara were that she originated from the Southern Water Tribe- a pitiful, money starved village that was all but extinct… Ila shrugged. Whatever. She didn't really care…  
And despite Zuko being infatuated with her, Ila wasn't expecting anything special.

The careless crunching of leaves behind her pulled Ila from her thoughts. She tuned her hearing on the footsteps, vaguely recognising the footsteps of one of the newer, younger guards rushing towards her. She quickly used the self skill to have her clone greet the guard, while she taught the careless boy a lesson.

As the boy drew closer, she could make out his panicked expression, fear written all over him. He screeched to a halt in front of her clone. "Miss Ila!"  
There was something in his voice that told her something the news he was bringing was anything but good. She darted out from her hiding place to behind the boy, tapping him on the shoulder. "What's wrong?"

Confusion fleeted over the boys face and she let her clone go. "Tell me!"

"The Master has been attacked!" he breathed out.

Ila felt the earth beneath her tremble. "What? When? I was just there…"

Seeing the Masters daughter in such distress, the guard took control of the situation, grabbing her arm and dragging her towards the base, explaining as he went. "Not long after you left a woman came into the house. She knew all the pass codes and had a believable alias. She was let in. Not long after she left the Tribe Master was found near death. I don't know the details, only that he wanted to speak to you right away…"

Ila nodded numbly. This was too much. Her father couldn't be dying. What if he was already dead by the time she got there?! Panic flared to life in there and she tore her arm out of the guards grip, racing on ahead towards the base.  
Silent tears made way down the girl's cheeks as she fled towards her dying parent, desperate to see him, to hug him.  
Right now, Ila was not the daughter of the Tribe Master, nor was she a highly trained assassin, right now, Ila was a fourteen year old girl on the verge of losing her only surviving parent.

o.o.o

Zuko noticed that Rune was getting more depressed with each step he took. He wanted to help his friend, he truly did, but he could not figure out a way to comfort him without seeming too… _creepy_. So he did nothing. At times, the Fire Nation Prince could not believe his bad luck when it came to awkward situations, it seemed there was no way around the bloody things.  
If the assassin was Katara he would have slung his arm around her shoulder and told her –gruffly- that everything would be okay. But he didn't think it would sit well in present company and, frankly, the thought made him shudder.

They were getting very close to where Zuko had last been with the Gaang. Halfway there, just 2 days ago, Zuko had realised it was silly to think that the Gaang would still be in the Western Air Temple. The day he was dragged off to Ba Sing Se, they had been preparing to leave anyway. There was no logical reason to think they had stuck around after that, particularly with Chace's attack on Aang.  
So he had hauled his letter all the way down here for almost no reason. The only reason being he had re-read it so many times that he had memorised every line of the parchment so if he ever lost or destroyed the wretched thing he would be able to re-write it; word for word.

"Here." The two men halted. This was the spot they were last. You could vaguely see the outline of their campfire in the dirt. If Zuko's memory served him well Chace would be lying less than 50 feet away, on the outskirts of their sleeping area where Aang had been packing their belongings onto Appa.

Rune was surveying the area. "You sure?" his voice was quiet, soft.

Zuko nodded. He inclined his head to the left. "If they left her, she will be about 40 feet that-a-way…"

Rune gazed in the direction the Prince indicated, though didn't move. After several minutes Zuko spoke. "Do you… ah… want me to come…with you…?"

Glancing at him, Rune's mouth twitched in what Zuko assumed to be a failed attempt at a wry smile. "I really don't want to see her now." Zuko nodded. He understood. Chace had been his companion for a year on his ship… he had no real desire to see her six weeks after her death.

"Yeah, I'm not too keen on it either. But, come on, it will be better to get it over with…"

At that, Rune followed Zuko in the direction previously indicated. Inside, the Tribe heir was desperately hoping that it wasn't Chace… that somehow, Zuko had known someone similar, but not _his_ Chace. But the chance would be one in a million.

As they drew closer, they could smell the decaying flesh. At this stage of decomposition, Chace would not be recognisable. It was a hard truth, but after a few weeks, a dead body was sickening to look at. The flesh would have turned a sickly green colour, the internal organs have withered up, and the breakdown of body fluids causes the skin to secrete a foul smelling odour not unlike cheese. At this stage, a human body is mostly skin and bone, granted the skin is very shrivelled making the bones more prominent.

Chace's body didn't disappoint the Royal tutors. It was a text book case, and would have possibly been interesting had the two observers not known the victim. As it was, it was disgusting, disturbing and a tad more than slightly distressing.

Neither man really knew what to do now. It was kind of a private thing for both of them and neither knew how to deal with the other's grief.

It was a drawback to being raised to rule, Zuko supposed. Never publicly showing emotion was first taught in the home. And eventually, it became second nature to keep it all inside all the time. Luckily for Zuko, his Uncle had not being strict with that on his ship while he was searching for the Avatar and Zuko had learned to express his anger freely.  
Thanks to the Gaang he had then learnt what it was like to trust other people, and with Katara he had learnt to love.

But never around other people.

His trust had never been extended past the Gaang, and his love had never been seen by anyone other than Katara.  
It looked like Rune had experienced something similar.

"We should…" Rune took a breath, "We should cremate her now…" the Tribe heir stated. Zuko nodded and left to gather wood to help the fire catch… and let Rune have some time with his late wife.

o.o.o

Rune was grateful when Zuko left to gather wood. It wasn't necessary, as the Fire Nation Prince could easily support the fire from his bending alone. He looked at Chace, and fell down to his knees beside her. He saw her sword he had given her for a wedding present. It had been her first assassin tool, with compartments for poisons in the hilt and handle. She had been ecstatic.

Cue_Flashback

"_Rune!" Chace giggled, "Just tell me where we are going!"_

_He had her blindfolded, leading her from the Kimodo Rhino to one of the Tribe cabins near the ocean. They were to stay there for two weeks for their honey moon. Rune had waited patiently for Chace for 18 months, and while it may not sound long, but it had been torturous for the Tribe heir who had decided- over 14 months ago, that Chace was the woman he wanted to marry- and she had only accepted his proposal three months ago.  
Today had easily been the best day of his life so far.  
He smirked, pulling her forward to the door. She had let slip to Ila exactly how she had always thought her wedding and the following night would go before life had shown its ugly side. It still angered him that she had been forced out on the streets. But nothing was ruining this day for them, especially when he had planned these next two weeks down to the last detail... So he pushed the thoughts to the back of his head where they would be forgotten.  
Barely stopping, Rune bent down, sweeping Chace off her feet to carry her through the door and into their temporary home. He sat her down on the couch, having a few things planned before commencing traditional wedding night activities…_

_He knelt in front of her, taking her hands in his and leaning to her ear. "I have something special for you, koi…" his breath tickled her neck, sending a shiver down her spine as she just grinned at him.  
He pecked her quickly on the lips before moving away to retrieve said gift from the kitchen table. Sitting next to her on the couch, he placed the long object in her hands. Her grip tightened on the object, her hands shook in excitement.  
"Can I take the blindfold off, Rune? Please?" she all but begged._

_Rune chuckled at her obvious eagerness, but took the cloth off anyway. Her gaze snapped down to her hands. Tentatively, almost as if she were afraid she would break her gift she moved her hand to the hilt, slowly unsheathing the sword.  
Rune had scoured all over the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation to find the perfect sword for his wife. And the object she held now was exquisitely crafted, the elegant, yet simple design allowed it to be easily handled by women assassins, and it had back to back compartments in the handle and hilt, which would be used to conceal poisons and darts. The blade was 28 inches long, freshly sharpened and glinting in the low lighting. The handle alternated between gold and black, inlaid with silver script._

_Rune was nearly jumping in excitement. It was just as exciting to give a gift as receiving one, he decided._

_Chace ran her fingers slightly over the inscription. "__Together __forever__, never apart. Maybe in distance but never at heart." She smiled up at Rune, crinkling her nose slightly, something rune loved to watch her do. "I never knew you could be so sentimental, Rune."_

_Rune flushed lightly. It was true, he had never even thought in the direction of being so… mushy towards another person. However, Chace was special. And although the inscription was completely true, he hoped that the second part would never apply._

_He carefully pulled the handle towards himself, and flicked a little catch on the side. A small door swung open, revealing the inside of the handle as being hollow._

"_You can hide poisons or darts, even pills in here, Chace." He looked to her. Her golden eyes sparkled, the red and gold kimono she had worn for their wedding highlighting their natural mischievousness. Agni; how he loved her.  
Unable to help himself, Rune leaned over to brush a lock of curled hair from her face. "Damn, you're gorgeous, Chace…" he smiled softly at her._

_She blushed, and averted her eyes, smiling shyly. "You would say that… just because you love me…"_

_Rune looked at her, surprised. "Of course, Koi. I Love You. And, you are easily the most beautiful person in the world!"_

_Delighted, Chace turned back to admiring the gift. From what the Tribe heir had heard of her past, Chace was living on the streets by the time she was seven just after her parents had died. Her life after that had not been easy. She had given no details, but from the scars across her back and thighs, she'd been mistreated, whether it was punishment for stealing food or money, or just some idiot who thought it was amusing, no one but Chace knew. Either way, Rune's heart ached for the treatment of his beloved when he was unable to protect her. Because of this treatment, she was insecure in her image, and needed constant reminding of how special she was. However, Rune certainly had no qualms about fulfilling this particular requirement. He loved to tell her how he loved her jet-black hair, golden eyes and milky skin. Every so often, the light would hit her in a certain way, or she would sport such a serene expression on her face that his breath would catch in his throat, and he was sure his eyes would tear if he was a female… and he would blurt out something so cheesy and cliché that he would blush from embarrassment. In these times, he would gripe about sounding too 'unmanly' but he did not mind, just seeing the reassurance and contentment in her eyes would make the momentary slip in 'manliness' worth his while._

_Sheathing the sword, Chace rose from the couch, placing the gift on the table. When she turned back around, she was chewing her lip, her brows furrowed in thought.  
"Chace?" Rune questioned. He had learned that in these circumstances, it was best to ask her gently- but persistently- what was wrong. When she didn't catch his gaze, Rune became worried. "Chace- what's wrong? You can tell me, koi." He walked over to her, catching her hands on each of his. "Anything, remember? We are married now, hey?"_

_The corner of her mouth tugged upward a smidge. "Yeah, we are…" she sighed, then met his gaze steadily, though her eyes were full of unease.  
"Are you sure this is what you want, Rune?" She asked._

_Rune almost stepped back in shock. "W-what do you mean, koi? Of course I am. I did not spend the last twelve months chasing you to give up now… What brought this on…?"_

_Her gaze shifted shortly, before meeting his squarely again.  
"I dunno. I was sure…" her eyes were tearing up, but she took a deep breath and continued. "I am sure this is what I want. But Rune, I can't… what if I…" she pulled one of her hands free to wipe a few tears that had broken free. "I just… I want kids so bad, Rune…"  
Rune sighed internally, taking an educated guess as to where this was going, and pulled her into his arms as he kissed the top of her head. She sniffed, using her sleeve to wipe her face.  
"What if I c-cant have kids, Rune…?" she choked out. "b-because of… because…" with that, Chace broke, and turned her weeping face into his shirt, pulling him close._

_Not knowing what else to do, Rune hushed her, rubbing her back in what he hope was a soothing pattern, and mumbled indistinguishable endearments into her hair.  
He had guessed this would come up eventually. Strangely enough, it was his sister who had warned him of the impending conversation, just over six months ago. According to Ila, some of Chace's injuries had been quite serious in her early teenage years, which may affect her ability to bear children.  
He guessed that during her medical exams-, none of which Chace would allow anyone but Ila to perform- some of her past injuries had surfaced. Obviously, some were serious enough to make his sister concerned, and to warn him of certain… possibilities._

"_Chace, love, koi…" he took her head in his hands, forcing her to meet his gaze. "I don't need any more than what you are willing to give me, sweet." He smiled warmly at her. "Koi, I don't need kids to be deliriously happy with you. Don't get me wrong, I would love kids with you, Chace. I really would. But if you can't have them because of your past, then I don't mind. Really."_

_Chace seemed to be satisfied with this answer, snaking her hands around her husband's neck as she raised herself on her toes to kiss him. Rune responded eagerly, all doubts and insecurities washed away as the two lovers lost themselves in their unrestrained desire for each other._

End_Flashback

o.o.o

The ceremony for Chace was small, consisting of only Rune and Zuko. It was a tragedy for Chace to be sent off into the spirit world like this, with nearly none of her friends and family around. As traditional in the Fire Nation, they were burning her body, freeing her soul from the now useless body, allowing it to roam as it pleased.  
As was becoming common between them, Rune and Zuko stayed silent. They had both already grieved the girl and were both too proud to cry for her yet again. So they simply settled for watching the body turn to ash in the fire pit.

Zuko fuelled the fire with his bending, speeding up the process as the smell of burning flesh became too much.

A distant snapping in the undergrowth caught the attention of both men. Instinctively, Zuko extinguished the flame and ducked behind a larger shrub. A quick glance in the direction of the Tribe heir let him know he had done the same thing, and had pulled out a kunai, ready to attack.

Keeping his breathing low and steady, Zuko shifted his hands towards his dual Dao swords resting on his back. Ever so slowly, he drew them out, ready to go on the offensive at a moment's notice.

The intruder was now close enough for Zuko to hear their harsh breathing, it sounded feminine, though beyond that he had no idea who they would be facing. Watching where he was stepping, Zuko manoeuvred himself to the side of the bush as the girl, marched into the clearing, stopping right at the fire pit.  
Another set of footsteps appeared from the same direction.

_Two on two. That is not so bad…_ Zuko weighed up their chances. He knew Rune would be doing the same.

"Miss Ila!" the second set of steps called out, only a few meters from the girl. The boy was panting hard, almost doubling over. "Please don't run off like that again… You need to save your energy for the search…"

Ila turned to glare at the boy. "They were here, idiot." She pointed gruffly at the fire pit; the smell of burning flesh was still lingering in the air, the ash warm. "Rune! Prince Zuko!" she hollered, "Get out here now!"

Zuko cringed. That was one mean yell…

As he stood, he saw Rune had already started moving towards his sister, and by the look on his face, this wasn't going to be some friendly family reunion.

"Ila! What are you doing here? Father told you not to come!" Rune took hold of his sisters' shoulders, shaking her slightly. To Ila's credit, she didn't back down, but rather kept his gaze. Although she was quiet.

"What is Father going to say? Hm?"

"Nothing," Ila wrenched her shoulder away from him. "He can't say anything because…" she took a deep breath. "Because, Rune, he is dead."

"What?!" The Tribe heir asked, though no one answered. They had all heard it the first time.

It was then that Rune noticed the red around her eyes, and her less than adequate appearance.

"When? What happened?"

Ila took a deep breath. "The day after you left a woman got past the guards. The medic are trying to find out what happened as we speak." She frowned. "Rune. You are the Tribe Master now."

Rune backed away shaking his head. "No, I can't. I still have so much to learn…!" he cried "How can I learn to lead all those people if he isn't there to help me?!"

Ila grabbed his hands. "Rune! Listen to me!" She caught his gaze. "You can do this. I know you can… _Father_ knew you could. He _told me_, Rune, just days ago as he lay dying, he told me."

Rune looked at her. "He really said that?"

Ila smiled tightly. "Yeah. Now, come on. Let's get back and try to fix this mess, hm?"

Rune smirked at her, pulling her into a one armed hug. "You are the best sister, you know that?" he looked back at Zuko. "Come on, Zuko, we have a world to right…"

Zuko rolled his eyes as he dutifully followed the siblings. As upset as he was at the news, he really hadn't come to know the late Tribe Master well enough to be too upset about his death.  
However, it was quite a blow to the new Tribe Master; cremating his wife and learning of the death of his father in the one day. The Fire Nation Prince could only hope that he would not lose anyone else in this useless war. If it was possible, his desire to end the war was now stronger than ever.

**A/N: Yeah, so there ya go! Poor ol' Chace has been cremated, you saw a flashback of her relationship with Rune, and Sigrun died.  
All in all, a good days work :D**

**I tried to write the scene where Sigrun died, but it just would not fit in the chapter. I may put it in later… I may not. Who knows, cos I'm a bit tricky like that…lol**

**Any who, not that you owe it to me, but I would LOVE to see a few reviews in my email inbox soon!**

**Don't may me beg… haha**

**Have a brilliant week!**

**Chip~**


	13. 13 Only Him

**Disclaimer: Aw, shucks, I am so running out of good ways to disclaim this damn story…**

**A/N: Yeah, I know, this officially means that there is NO pattern to my updates…lol**

**Remember, in this chapter: Tribe protects = Fire Nation heirs, Coterie = Earth Kingdom heirs, Clan = Water Tribe heirs, Tier = Air Nomad heirs… mk? This is dredging stuff up from waaay back in chapter six…! Even **_**I**_**had forgotten it and I made it up…lol  
On another note, I know I have been excessively and unreasonably cruel to Rune the last few chapters… oh, who am I kidding…?! I have been quite malicious to him the whole damn story. And I apologise. To make it up for him, I have a lovely surprise waiting for him at the end, or in the epilogue! Yay!**

**Also, I am uncertain as to whether the Earth Kingdom/Fire Nation/Water Tribe's have the 'ultra-modern technological' styling's of a door… so I have just made it that the Tribe does… just in case XD**

"_The hardest thing to do is watch the one you love, love someone else." Anonymous_

**Chapter Thirteen- Only Him **

Rune sighed wearily as he stood in the doorway of the Tribe Masters study in the Northern Tribe Base.  
After the fatal attack on the Tribe Master in the Western base only one week prior, all of Sigrun's scrolls, books, loose papers and anything else in the old study had moved here- to Runes study.  
Seven days ago, when Ila had interrupted Chace's cremation the small group of four; Rune, Zuko, Ila and her guard had left the Western Air Temple immediately and hastened to the northern Tribe base.  
The journey had been almost non-stop for six days and now, after just six hours sleep, Rune was staring blankly at boxes upon boxes of paper work. Just for him. _Yippee…_

He just knew there had been a reason he hadn't wanted to become Tribe Master just yet. Lately, though, many of the events that had happened, Rune had definitely NOT wanted them to happen. To tell the truth, the nineteen year old really did not know how he was still functional. Any lesser of a person would have been a mess, and Rune was not sure that he _wasn't_ a mess. He was just too scared to look inside himself to find out. It was a bit of a miracle that he wasn't showing too many outward signs as it was… but all good things come to an end, and Rune was just waiting for the miracle to expire and reality to come crashing down.

The Tribe Master dragged a weary hand over his face. Maybe it would do him some good going through the paper work; give him something else to think about for a while. He sat down at the large desk, puling one box onto his lap and ungraciously dumping the other boxes on the floor. Maybe it was one of his strange quirks, but Rune could never work with mess on the desk. The floor could be a cluttered as hell, but the _desk, _the desk must be clear.  
The box in his lap, labelled "Inbox (To Respond)" in his father's flawless script was perhaps three quarters full- maybe two or three dozen scrolls. Apparently, the Tribe was pretty popular. He lifted the first scroll out of the box and got to work.

Although he had helped Sigrun with similar matters before, Rune was still amazed at the number of complaints, needs, problems and requests that built up over a week.

After a few hours, his hand cramped. His ass had long gone numb, the pages were blurring and his mind was forgetting to process what he read. Shifting in his seat, Rune decided right there that he would order a new chair as soon as possible- w_ith cushions!_ He added mentally to himself. As it was, the bloody thing was about a comfortable as a granite bench. No wonder his father hated paper work so much!  
The Tribe Master sighed with relief when he snuck a reluctant look at the pile he had been working through- there were only half a dozen left.  
He frowned at the seal on this next scroll.

_The White Lotus? _

The new Tribe Master was reluctant to open the scroll. He had only officially been the Tribe Master since he had started signing the scrolls and parchments four hours ago. He wasn't sure if he was up to the task the White Lotus may have for him. However, not reading the information didn't make it any better news. He still didn't want to open it.

Rune knew that eventually he was going to write to the White Lotus to inform him of Sigrun's death and his own succession to Tribe Master. And when he did, Iroh would want assurances of the safety of his nephew, and possibly want to see him. It was strange, really, that the head of the White Lotus hadn't already done so.

Sighing, he popped the seal. What most people didn't know was that the Tribe, the Clan, the Coterie and the Tier were all branches of the White Lotus Society. It wouldn't be smart to have the four nation heirs protected by separate, disunited groups, it would be chaos.  
So there was the White Lotus- Iroh- and a council of his four most trusted advisors who kept unity between the branches. In this way, there was greater stability between the nations even when the current rulers were at war… much like now.

In this particular scroll, the White Lotus was requesting the presence of the Tribe Master in the Northern Water Tribe.

In just under one week, the Northern Water Tribe would be hosting their annual Lunar Festival. This year, it will also signify the 12 month anniversary of the Princess Yue's ascension as the moon spirit.

Logically, Rune knew he could not go this year. He had often accompanied his father when he represented the Tribe, though he had not realised that the White Lotus sent a formal request for a representative to attend from the Tribe. But as was the current situation, it was too risky for him to leave the Tribe base. He would have to send a proxy.

Ila was the logical choice to go. Until Rune had his own children, Ila was the next heir to the Tribe Master position, and with Chace's recent death, chances of him having children to succeed him was low. However, Rune did not want to send his little sister on her own. She was the last of his family and he was more than reluctant to lose her. Though she _would_ be the perfect proxy…

Sigrun had often disclosed to his son how he wished Ila could have been the next Tribe Master. Not that he had ever doubted Runes ability to run the Tribe. Rune figured he just wanted Ila safely behind a desk rather than out of dangerous missions. She was almost a spitting image of their mother, and Sigrun had never moved on from his late wife. Anyway, she was born to lead. She may have had her mother's looks, but her brain was completely her fathers.

As it was now, Rune would be lucky to ever leave the tribe base for anything other than mundane political events.  
Though he did feel a tad better knowing that by the end of summer, Prince Zuko would be in exactly the same position. And he had a whole country to set right rather than the smooth takeover of the Tribe.

He would rather be out on missions, but he had been prepared for this day since he was young and would take on this responsibility as well as he could.

There was still the issue of Ila. He knew his sister was frustrated with the lack of missions she had been assigned to under Sigrun's lead… only the one, to be exact. He also knew that he would kill himself (after having a severe mental breakdown) if she died. He wasn't strong enough for more death. There had to be a way to satisfy her without putting her in danger.

After that he needed to figure out what to do about Prince Zuko. If the whereabouts of the Western Tribe base had been leaked, along with enough information to get in and out without a fuss, then it was likely they knew about Prince Zuko being in the Tribes custody.

He frowned, dragging the butt of his brush through his hair. He needed to find himself an assistant soon!

He called to the guards stationed outside the study. "Fetch me my sister and my father's assistant immediately."

The guards looked at each other, seemingly dumbfounded. "Sir…?" One of them spoke tentatively.

"Now!" he barked. Sigrun had told him on occasion to be harsher in the first year of running the Tribe; give them someone to fear and look up to, firm but understanding. And damnit, he was going to lay it out. No one questions the Tribe Master.

Shuffling through the boxes, Rune somehow located a blank sheet and some more ink. Carefully, Rune listed all the issues he could think of that needed near immediate answers.  
At the end he sat back, looking bleary-eyed at the list. He had suddenly developed a headache. It was quite the list.

He didn't know whether to cry or laugh at the ridiculousness of some of the issues.  
A sharp knock brought him out of his self-induced stupor. "Enter."

To his surprise, Zuko peeked his head in. The Tribe Master blinked at him. "What's up?"

Zuko smirked. "I was just walking past and your guards were standing at the door, arguing with bloody murder written all over their faces. Me, being my usual, compassionate self," To which Rune inserted a 'conveniently-timed' snort of amusement, "I walked over and before I knew it, I was held to door and practically threatened to tell you that Ila refuses to get up for at least another twenty four hours and that the assistant has gone missing. Possibly dead."

The Fire Prince shrugged while the Tribe Master chuckled darkly. Of course the assistant- the _only_ one who could help him out was missing, assumed dead…

Only him.

o.o.o

The little girl sniffled as she looked up at Katara. Her huge blue eyes were glistening with tears, her face already flushed from the onslaught of salt water only half an hour ago. Finishing the patients treatment, Katara smiled at the mother and daughter as she discharged the young girl from the infirmary.

"Not broken?" Reonet poked her head in from the adjoining cubicle. Katara shook her head.

"No, a simple fracture…"

"You managed fine then?"

After arriving in the Northern Water Tribe two weeks earlier, Katara had found herself quickly growing bored with nothing to do. Novik quickly became engrossed with helping Senu with his waterbending and training with the younger kids. They all loved him, the children.

Katara had often been left to fend for herself during the day, though Hahn had made a few gallant efforts to 'woo' and entertain her, but she had repeatedly pushed him aside. A few hours after she had met him she had remembered exactly how he had treated her brother a year ago, and she had decided to snub him. It really was petty, but with all the events that had happened in the last few months, Katara figured she was well over due for some childish behaviour. And it kept her amused.

In any case, she had ended up sitting in on one of the more basic healing sessions that she had skipped out on during her last visit here. She had then promptly decided to finish the healing course, just for something to do, if nothing else. By some sheer stroke of luck, Reonet had been the one to run the healing session and had offered to personally teach Novik's newest friend.

True to her lineage, Katara had easily mastered the simpler procedures and was moving through the advanced sections. These sections dealt mainly with healing bones, the brain and extracting the more rare poisons. It was fascinating work, and Katara was enjoying herself more than she expected at this stage.

"Yes. It's becoming second nature to heal fractures. I'm almost wishing someone would break their bone properly so I can practise more on breaks…" She laughed softly. "…as nasty as that sounds."

Reonet smiled ruefully. "I know. It took me years to get enough breaks to be able to heal them in one session."

Katara finished filling out the patients chart while walking with Reonet to hand in their respective charts.

Deed complete, Katara turned to her friend. "Lunch?"

Reonet nodded. "Please. Senu can't meet me for lunch, so I would have been all alone if you hadn't finished!" She theatrically rested the back of her hand on her forehead.

Katara laughed as she pushed open the door to the hospitals canteen. "Oh good! Means I don't have to watch you two make eyes at each other…!" She teased.

Reonet, to her credit, blushed. "We aren't that bad!" she defended as they found a free and relatively clean table. After a few moments of Katara not replying, she turned to her. "Are we?!"

A short nod from Katara kicked Reonets blush up a notch. "Shoot." she looked over to the food serving area. "I'm.. ah… I'm going to get some food now. You want anything?" She asked as she made her escape.

Katara shook her head fondly as she watched her leave. Novik had a great pair of friends to hang out with. And Reonet and Senu were so obviously in love, it was hard not to watch them, just to give yourself even an ounce of the same affection.

It didn't take long for Reonet to return with the hospitals version of Stewed Sea Prunes. Though not Gran-Gran's famous recipe, the flavour was still satisfying- even more so after a long morning at work.

"How's Arnook going with the preparations for the Lunar Festival?" Reonet asked.  
Despite her being a lifelong resident of the Northern Water Tribe, Katara was staying with the Chief and therefore had the inside scoop of his daily activities. As it was at the moment, Katara was the one to go to when the Chief couldn't be found… which was often, suspiciously enough…

Katara sighed. "Yeah, pretty good… I think. I have never been to one before, so I don't know how much he has got to go, really." She smiled brightly. "I _am_looking forward to the festival, though." She leaned closer to Reonet, lowering her voice mischievously. "I hear that a lot of marriages results from meeting at the festival…"

For the umpteenth time that day, Reonet blushed and looked away.

"Isn't that right, _Reonet_…?"

She huffed. "Where did you hear that? Honestly, Novik can form a million superstitions and theories with no factual evidence to back him up…!"

Katara's eyebrow shot up. "Isn't that where you met Senu…?"

"It's also where I met Novik." Her voice rose to a slightly more than acceptable level. "And I was eight!"

"If you say so… but I never said Novik was the one who told me either…"

This sparked Reonets interest. Novik was always playing with her like this, it was only logical that he would be the one to initiate such nonsense. "Who then?"

o.o.o

"What?!" Ila all but yelled, springing from her seat.  
Rune resisted the urge to groan. He had expected Ila to react somewhat like this, though he had harboured a small amount of hope that she could have been a tad more… mature. Especially in front of the Fire Nation Prince.

"You heard me, Ila." He sighed, "I am sending Prince Zuko to the Northern Water Tribe for the Lunar Festival. The White Lotus requires him to be there." It wasn't exactly a lie. The White Lotus _would_ be glad to see his beloved nephew, but he may not be _expecting_ the young Prince. It was one of those few instances where Rune's conscience conveniently forgot to reprimand him for lying to his sister.

But then, it wasn't the part Ila was protesting, either.

Keeping Ila here with him was as much for her own good as his peace of mind. Only a few hours ago, Rune had decided he needed Ila by his side. Not just as his sister, but as his associate.  
Had Chace been alive, he would have given her the position without a though to it.

Ila would have been able to complete missions outside of the Tribe base and Chace would have felt useful. Everybody wins.

But then, had Chace been alive, Zuko would not have been with them, perhaps Sigrun would still be alive, and the young couple would have continued grieving their lost child… or maybe even been contemplating trying again.

But circumstances as they were, Rune felt he was doing the best thing for everyone.

"I need you here, Ila."

His sister scowled at him, her eyes glinting dangerously. "Am I ever going to get out of this place?!"  
She leant over the Tribe Masters desk, her face inches from Runes. "Why are you trying so hard to be another Dad?" She hissed, "I don't understand why you won't let me go with him!"

"I need you here, Ila." Rune repeated. He really didn't want to go through this now. "Please, Ila. Trust me on this. Stay."

"You can't keep me here, brother." She straightened up, glaring down at him. "I won't stay."

Frustrated, Rune rose from his chair. "I am the Tribe Master, Ila. You _will_ do as I say!"

"I don't have to do as you say, Rune. Why should I?" There was something off about his sister, and he couldn't quite pin point it. Had he been so absorbed in his own sorrow and responsibilities that he had missed his sisters gradual breakdown? Was that even what this was?

"Because I asked you to, Ila. I _need_ you _here_. For the Tribe" He stated quietly. He was sure that if Ila left with the Prince, he would not be able to rest until she was back. She couldn't leave him now, he needed her close by.

She didn't get it.

"For the Tribe?!" She growled, turning from him. "There's more to living than this bloody Tribe, Rune. You should be the last person trying to protect it right now."

Rune sighed. "What do you mean?" He humoured her.

"If we didn't live here, Dad would still be alive!" She snarled. "Chace would still be alive… and she'd be happy! I would have my best friend back…"

Rune examined his sister as she stood before him. Now that he took in her appearance, she did look a little unwell and unkempt. Her eyes were framed with dark rings, her hair falling into her face, its usual lustre gone. Ila's usually pale skin lacked its signature glow and her skin seemed to be hugging her bones closer than usual.

"Have you looked in the mirror lately, sister?" His seemingly out-of-the-blue question startled the distressed girl.

"…Huh?"

"Have. You. Looked. In. The. Mirror. Lately. Ila?" he emphasized every word.

"No." she answered shortly. "Why? Do I need a bath?" she mocked.

Rune walked over to his sister, holding onto her by her shoulders. He winced when he felt how thin she was. "If you had looked in a mirror lately, Ila, you would _see_ why I can't send you with the Prince." Ila glared at him.

"What do you mean?" she asked gruffly, clearly insulted by his frank manner.

"Ila, you are not taking care of yourself! Look at you! If you saw you how I see you, you would agree with me. I can't send you like this, sister." He paused. "If you can't take care of yourself within the safety of the Tribe, there is no way I can trust you to take care of yourself on a mission."

"It's not safe here, Rune! Dad was _murdered_ within the 'safety of the Tribe' in case you forgot."

"Of course I haven't, Ila! How could I?" he scowled at her. "I am left to run the Tribe on my own! Only a week following the death of my father, and the funeral of my wife! I have to take care of things Dad never got around to teaching me, I have no one I can turn to for help in this. I can't lose anyone else right now, Ila. I just can't." he removed his hands from her shoulders, walking back to his seat. "You _will_stay here." As she went to protest, he held up his hand, cutting her off. "Prince Zuko will be fine on his own, Ila. Dismissed."

Annoyed, Ila spun on her heels, intending to leave the room.

Quietly, Rune offered up a compromise. "If you take better care of yourself, I _may_ let you go to the Northern Water Tribe in a few weeks. _Maybe_."

She said nothing else as she walked out, closing the door firmly behind her.

Rune groaned inwardly as he sat at his desk. Fighting with Ila was always tiring and left him feeling awful.

A throat cleared in the silence that followed.

"I can come back… later…" Zuko started.

"No." Rune sighed. "I need you to leave as soon as possible, so I will get started. I am sending you to the Northern Water Tribe for the extent of their Lunar Festival- plus one week. That will be three weeks in total in the Northern Water Tribe." He started. "I would usually be required to go, but circumstances have prevented that. You will go as both my proxy and the Fire Nation Prince.  
You know about the White Lotus Society?"

Zuko nodded. "Yes. Uncle was a member and we used their resources to get out of a few situations…"

Rune nodded thoughtfully. So Iroh hadn't told his nephew the extent of his involvement in the society. Interesting.

Rune decided it was time for the Fire Nation Prince to know who his uncle was. "Your Uncle, Retired General Iroh, is _the_ White Lotus. He heads the organisation. We are a branch of the society- the Fire Nation branch. The Coterie (Earth Kingdom), Clan (Water Tribe), and Tier (Air Nomads) are also branches. We all work together to protect the heirs of our respective countries."

"Uncle Iroh is… _the_ White Lotus?" The Tribe Master confirmed the Princes question with a nod.

"Yes, which is why we have been protecting you all these years rather than Azula… and he has requested our presence at the Lunar Festival. As I have already said, I cannot go- but you can." He pulled a few parchments from his desk draw. "These are your papers. They will allow you to get help from any member of the White Lotus. On the back of the first parchment is a simple map showing the quickest and safest route to the Northern Water Tribe from here. Stick to this map as much as possible." Rune handed the parchments to the Prince, who subsequently leafed through them. "Someone will meet you when you depart from the ferry in the Northern Water Tribe and take you straight to the White Lotus. Unfortunately, the festival will have probably already started when you arrive, but some things can't be helped."

Zuko nodded absently. "When do I leave?"

Rune smirked. "As soon as you are packed."

o.o.o

Zuko stepped eagerly off the Earth Kingdom ship into the pristine white snow of the Northern Water Tribe; stretching his arms above his head and out to the side. He was so glad to be departing from the second-class ferry, he almost missed the presence on his right. Mid (subtle) stretch, the Prince paused and looked up into the face of a Water Tribe warrior.

He raised his brow. "Yes?"

"Prince Zuko?" At the nod from the Prince, he continued. "The White Lotus sent me to fetch you." The warrior offered his hand. "My name is Hahn. Please, follow me."

They walked in silence. Something Zuko vaguely noticed happened a lot around him. Perhaps he just wasn't deemed as the talkative type? Although, it did fit with the Brooding Prince act he had so diligently constructed around himself as a young teen. He had thought he had made progress with the Gaang, but apparently not as much as he thought…

As though it had not occurred to him before, Zuko noticed that the sun was all but set over the horizon. The snow seemed to glow in the soft moonlight and the flickering flames from the lamps in the street. The result was picturesque enough that he had simply not noticed the position of the sun. Faintly, the Prince could hear the festival music, song and cheers from the Northern Water Tribe folk as they celebrated. The next two weeks would be devoted to celebrating the ascension of their Princess Yue as the Moon Spirit, all thoughts of War banished from their minds.

It was how it should be, Zuko mused. And how it would be when he became Fire Lord. When this was over, he would ensure peace reigned throughout the three remaining nations. Under his rule over the Fire Nation, alliances would be offered, treaties signed and trade routes opened. It would be a lot of work, but he knew he was the only one who could do it. As descendant of both Avatar Roku and Fire Lord Sozin, Zuko felt it was his destiny to bring peace to the world once again. One hundred years of war was too many. If it was up to him, the three nations would never be at war again.

Of course, the Prince had been raised in the ways of war, and he knew there would be opposition- particularly from his own country. The Fire Nation felt safe in the war- they were winning, they were proving they _were_ better than everyone else. There was a certain amount of pride in knowing your country was stronger than most.  
It was why Zuko had struggled so hard in his quest to understand his destiny. How could he deprive his country of something they so richly deserved?

But they were not supposed to live in war. The Avatar had shown him that in the four months he had spent with them. And Katara had shown him how life was so much better when you took the time to understand other people. She had made him really look at the Fire Nation colonies in the Earth Kingdom. You could see, behind the eyes of the settlers that they were tired of war, tired of being treated like scum when their country was winning, and worse when it lost. The success of the Fire Nation wasn't bringing respect nor friendship from the other countries, and no matter what Fire Lord Ozai thought, people from other countries were always going to be against him. It was like Zuko had said to Iroh, over twelve months ago now; "_If my father thinks that the rest of the world will follow him willingly, then he is a fool!"_ And he still believed it, now more than ever.

"Wait here." They had come to a stop outside a small group of Water Tribe tents. Hahn disappeared inside one for only a few moments before rejoining the Prince.

"The White Lotus is enjoying the refreshments at the Lunar Festival, and probably won't be available until tomorrow afternoon."

Zuko smirked. It was just like Uncle to get a bit keen around free food and drink. He was a strong believer in a good time.

"… you can stay at the palace," Hahn was saying. He pointed vaguely in the direction of the festival. "it's on the other side of the celebration…" Zuko nodded. You could hardly miss it. The huge icy palace could be seen from just about anywhere in the city. "… Sorry, I have somewhere to be, Prince Zuko, excuse me."

Hahn hurried off, clearly late for something… but who was he to care?

The Prince banished all thoughts of Water Tribe warriors from his mind. The boy was much like Sokka in a way… Zuko had been working hard at suppressing any thoughts of the boy he had considered to be his best male friend. Sokka had been the first of the Water Tribe siblings to accept him. His strange sense of humour was a great ice breaker during one of Zuko's darker moods. It was always comical travelling with the Gaang. It was sad to think it, but those four months had been the best of his life.

He started walking towards the festival. He may as well see what he was here for- the celebration was supposed to last a fortnight, but the Prince figured he would use the rest of the week to cut loose and forget about the nightmare that was the last two months of his life. He would scope it out tonight, and join in tomorrow… and the next day… and the next day… until he had to go back to the Tribe.

He wished he had someone here he could talk to. He wouldn't get to see Uncle until tomorrow, and after being surrounded by friends for six months, Zuko was feeling a bit lonely and more than a bit cautious in the Northern Water Tribe. After all, last time he was here, he wasn't the most friendly guy around… not to mention he was fighting on a different side to them.

Faintly, Zuko heard laughter. A familiar, soothing sound he had been sorely deprived of for two long months. He stopped, closing his eyes for a few minutes, revelling in the feel of something familiar, before shaking his head at himself. It couldn't be Katara, he had heard no report that the Avatar was here, and Rune certainly would have known about it and mentioned it to him. But he couldn't deny that the laugh sounded exactly like that of his Katara. And so, as if drawn by some magical force, Zuko drifted slowly towards the source of the sound.  
He peeked around the makeshift wall of snow, and what he saw made his heart leap into his throat for two reasons. One being that it really _was_Katara he had heard, and the other that she was being awful friendly with a Water Tribe warrior he had not met before. If it was anyone else, Zuko would not have been able to deny how good they looked together. But it was not anyone else, it was Katara. _His_Katara!

o.o.o

Zuko narrowed his eyes, watching Katara and her male acquaintance; they were sitting on the outer wall of the Northern Water tribe, overlooking the ocean. Katara leant comfortably on the guys shoulder, and he had his arm casually draped around her shoulder.

As if he did it all the time.

She laughed gaily at something he said, lightly swatting arm in playful reprimand with a mock scowl.

Zuko's heart wrenched. _Was she_ _flirting_?!

His breathing grew shallow as he watched the two hang out as though they had known each other their whole lives. She was obviously fond of the older water bender.

Inside his heart Zuko struggled with the depth of his emotions.

He knew Katara had thought he had died. He also knew that Katara was a very (if not the most) beautiful woman. It would have been reasonable to conclude that she wouldn't stay single for long. And maybe, just _maybe_ if he _was_ actually dead, then he could have been happy that she had been able to move on and find happiness again.

But the selfish side of him, the one that had been honed and humoured during his time as a Prince, was very reluctant to watch as his girlfriend (slash fiancé) flirted with another guy.

His time on Ember Island with his Azula, Mai and Ty Lee had proven that. He hadn't even been in love with Mai then- grateful for her company, and he certainly liked her enough to consider making her his consort at the time, but not in love. And he had still been upset enough at some random guy flirting with her- which she was showing no interest in, by the way, to trash his house. Now he knew what it was like to be in love, he was not happy to just settle ever again. He wanted Katara back. With him.

Slowly, bit by bit Zuko felt his heart start to break. The beginnings of cracks wove through his heart, just waiting for the right moment to completely shatter. The doubt and loneliness he had felt the last three months came flooding in, now that he was vulnerable. To some extent, he felt hostility towards the Tribe for rescuing him the way they did, but it was mostly to his father for being such a power hungry Fire Lord, to Chace for showing up when she did… to himself for not trying to contact Katara sooner or harder, for not figuring out where his loyalties lay earlier.

At Katara for moving on.

It wasn't logical, it wasn't reasonable, it wasn't rational, and it…ugh.

_It's just wasn't fair!_

His mind screamed in agony. Here he was, not twenty yards from where Katara sat, he was in the moment he had been waiting for- for three months! This was what had pulled and pushed at him to train with the Tribe, to attend the Lunar festival… all to win this stinking war, and now he felt… well, Zuko wasn't quite sure what he felt, but he did know that it was up there with the most sickening, terrifying and excruciating emotions anyone could ever feel.

Watching them now, Zuko found he finally understood the feeling of intense and uncontrollable jealous rage.

_Uncontrollable._

Balling his fists, Zuko attempted to deepen his breathing, to not act too rashly as he had done so many times before.

He wanted to race over and tear this fellow apart.

He wanted to shake Katara until she told him why…just_ why?!_

He wanted so desperately to hold her.

He wanted to tell her all the things that he had been up to while he had been away.

He wanted to lie on the grass with her like they used to when they would sneak away from Sokka and watch the stars.

But in the moment Zuko found he could do none of these things, for his body seemed to be frozen in time, just watching this scene unfold in front of him, this _nightmare_ unfold.

To his horror, Zuko watched as Katara leaned over and kissed _him_ on the cheek. When she pulled back _he_ caught her gaze and slowly, almost in slow motion _his_ hand cupped the back of her head and pulled her forward, meeting _his_ lips with hers.

Zuko's breath caught in his throat. His heart beat could be felt and heard in his ears. The blood rushed to his face, his milky complexion taking on a livid red glow.

And when, rather than pulling back, Katara moved her hand to rest on his shoulder, softening her lips to _his_, Zuko knew first hand exactly what a shattering heart sounded and felt like.

His eyes glistening with furious tears, Zuko rapidly sent forth a series of fire balls towards the couple, releasing a strangled cry as he revealed his presence.

--

Katara felt rather than saw the balls of fire hurtling towards them. Feeling rather annoyed with whoever was game enough to fire bend in the Northern Water tribe, especially during the Moon Festival she jumped into a fighting stance as the icy wall melted beneath her, the steam misting her view. A quick glance to her right showed Novik had done the same.

Quickly she bent the steam from around them, determined whoever had interrupted was _not_ going to get away with it, and formed a decent sized water whip.

But as her vision cleared through the vapour she found herself gazing at the form of one Fire Prince she was sure she would never see again.

Her water fell to the ground and Novik looked at her, surprised, confusion written on his face.

"Zuko" she whispered. Novak's eyes widened in recognition at the name first, then a moment later, the face, before his water also promptly fell to the ground.

For what felt like hours, Katara and Zuko were frozen in time. Each meeting the others gaze as they both tried to comprehend the enormity of what was happening.

Novik stood off to the side, feeling every bit the third wheel that he was. He knew that now Prince Zuko had returned, he had no chance with Katara. In a way he was relieved. As much as he liked the waterbender, the kiss they had shared had not been what he had expected. Nothing compared to the electrifying romance Senu shared with Reonet.

Surprisingly, the first to break the silence was the Fire Prince.

"Katara…" he breathed hoarsely, his voice sounding as though it had been dragged off the side of a Komodo Rhino for a week. He furrowed his brow, trying somehow to assemble his voice to dictate what he wanted to say. "What…I thought…"

Katara dropped out of her stupor. "But you're… how…" her face turned quizzical as she took a tentative step towards him. She didn't blink, perhaps afraid that if she did, it would all be her imagination… a dream. And there was no way she wanted this dream to end.

Slowly, as if the very same fear gripped Zuko, he reached forward, extending his hand in invitation.

o.o.o

**So, there you go...! Chapter Thirteen.**

**Chapter Fourteen will be posted fairly soon, seeing as this is a fairly nasty ending XD**

**As far as I can tell, I can either halt this story at chapter fifteen (plus epilogue) or I can go to chapter twenty. Bear in mind, I start University in February, so's it will most probably be only until chapter fifteen.  
And anyways, I am hooked on Naruto and storm Hawks since Avatar finished... maybe I'll write a few oneshot... hmmm...?**

**Ah, I _may_still post Chace's story (Dissension) this year. It will follow her mainly, but will deviate at the end to show Zuko's growing relationship with Katara and the Gaang, as well as what drove Chace to attacking Aang. However, updates for that story will be random and slow.... though I think it will only be around ten chapters....**

**I have a few other stories I would like to get going, so put me one Author Alerts (hint...lol) and watch for them.**

**Okay, enough self-advertising.**

**Have a bloody brilliant week, everyone! Remember to Review!!**

**Cheerio,**

**Chip~**


	14. 14 Death

**A/N: Sorry for the god-awful long authors note, but these 'facts and figures' are helpful in this chapter, so please read!**

**Fun Fact: **By 400 A.D. a stable form of ink developed, a composite of iron-salts, nutgalls and gum, the basic formula, which was to remain in use for centuries. Its colour when first applied to paper was a bluish-black, rapidly turning into a darker black and then over the years fading to the familiar dull brown colour commonly seen in old documents. Wood-fibre paper was invented in China in 105 A.D. but it only became known about (due to Chinese secrecy) in Japan around 700 A.D. and brought to Spain by the Arabs in 711 A.D. Paper was not widely used throughout Europe until paper mills were built in the late 14th century.

**The following information i****s taken from good old Wikipedia:**

"**Pennyroyal essential oil **is extremely concentrated, it should not ever be taken internally because it is highly toxic; even in small doses, the poison can lead to death. Complications have been reported from attempts to use the oil for self-induced abortion. The oil can be used for aromatherapy, a bath additive and as an insect repellent. There are numerous studies that show pennyroyal's toxicity to humans and animals.

**Pennyroyal tea **is the use of an infusion made from the herb, the infusion is widely reputed as safe to ingest in restricted quantities. It has been traditionally employed and reportedly successful as an emmenagogue (menstrual flow stimulant) or as an abortifacient. In 1994 a young woman died from an undetected ectopic pregnancy while performing a self-induced abortion using pennyroyal tea, reports say that she had consumed the tea for longer than the recommended time length of five days. The most popular current use of the tea is to settle the stomach. Other reported medicinal uses through history include fainting, flatulence, gall ailments, gout, hepatitis (presumably Hepatitis A), a lung cleanser, a gum strengthener and, when ground with vinegar, a tumor remedy, although there is little to no medical evidence on any of these treatments."

**Mahe: **Pronounced Mar-Hay… just for future reference…heh

**Disclaimer: Yare Yare…etc**

o.o.o

**Chapter Fourteen- Death**

"_If I could have just one wish, I would wish to wake up every day to the sound of your breath on my neck, the warmth of your lips on my cheek, the touch of your fingers on my skin, and the feel of your heart beating with mine... Knowing that I could never find that feeling with anyone other than you."  
-Unknown_

o.o.o

Katara was overwhelmed… shocked, flabbergasted, stunned, astonished… need the list be continued?

_Zuko is…here? In the Northern Water Tribe?_ And during the Lunar Festival no less. Last time he was here he had kidnapped Aang during the Fire Nation's attack on the Northern Water Tribe.

It was strange he was allowed to walk around so freely…

Wait. Why was it she was so surprised to see him here in the first place…? _Oh yeah, _she remembered… _he's dead._

Sharply, she pulled her hand back.

"Th-This isn't funny, Novik." She stammered. It was a joke- one of Novik and Senu's cruel, vulgar, sick jokes.  
And this time she wasn't laughing.

"Katara…" Novik lay his hand on her shoulder.

"No!" She wrenched out of his grip, whirling to face him, her eyes livid. "How could you be so cruel?" She hissed at him. "How can you play with me like that? You know how much I love him!"

Novik was shocked. For the month he had known Katara, he hadn't been subject to her temper before. Knowing her skill as a warrior, and the amount of times she had knocked him for six in their 'friendly' spars, he was the one about to come off second best if he didn't calm her soon. He held his hand out in surrender, trying to placate her unjust anger towards him.

"Stop it, Kat-"

An angry growl came from behind her. Both heads whipped around to look at the 'dead' or 'fake' (depending who you were) Fire Nation Prince as Zuko pulled Katara behind him. "Don't talk to her like you own her."

Novik was surprised at the possessive glint in the Prince's eyes. It was a slightly strange situation, bearing in mind that he was supposed to be dead… Safe to say, this had never happened to him before.

And so, he did what any good friend would do to a potential suitor.

"And you do?" He challenged him.

His reply was a harsh palm-flick to the chest, sending him back several meters into the snow.  
Regaining his balance, and composure, Novik assumed a bending stance… as did Zuko.

As the two warriors eye-balled each other, Katara- and the rest of the festival- merged together, fading into the background while they measured each other up. After a few tense moments, Novik dropped his stance, sending an acknowledging nod in the Prince's direction.

The truth was, he knew how much pain Katara had endured in the Prince's death, how much she did, and always would love Zuko. He walked up to her.

"If this is some joke, Novik, I swear I will-" He shook his head at her.

"Shush, Kat, I had nothing to do with this- I swear." He met her gaze. He could see she was torn between anger, hope and fear of it all being a hoax. "I don't know how, but he _is_ here. Don't you want to know what happened?"  
She didn't answer. The Water Tribe warrior just patted her shoulder, leaning down to whisper in her ear, "Just give him a chance, Kat. I'll be waiting if you need to talk, okay?" before he walked away.

She watched him go, almost afraid to look back in case Zuko was no longer there. She had been so sure he was dead, that she hadn't even entertained the idea that he might not be. Not even in her dreams.

So it was understandable that she was startled a few moments later when Zuko gently gripped her arm, turning her to face him. Afraid to look up into his face, the face she had spent two months trying to move on from, she closed her eyes, unable to face her fears.

Whether Zuko understood or whether he just got lucky, she wasn't sure, but when he pulled her into a strong, comforting hug, Katara couldn't help but whimper as she melted into his arms- the embrace was so familiar, so loving… so _Zuko_.

o.o.o

He was the renowned stoic (ex)-Prince of the Fire Nation, but at that moment, as he pulled Katara to him and felt her give to his embrace, he knew that he had never felt so relieved in his life. After seeing her with the Water Tribe warrior, he had been afraid that she really had moved on and he had lost her.  
He tightened his hold on the small girl. She was thinner that he remembered- he could feel that even through her bulky Water Tribe robes. Or maybe it was that she was a bit taller? After all, she hadn't really finished growing, and it had been such a long time since he had seen her…  
He lifted his head to check. Now he just had to remember if her head had ended at his shoulder or just under his chin… if it was the first, then she had grown about two inches… though if it was the latter, she may have shrunk a little…

Either way, it really didn't matter how much Katara had grown or how much weight she had lost. All that mattered now was that he had a hold on her and this time he wasn't letting go.  
He buried his face in her hair once again, breathing in her sweet oceanic scent. Though she could have been covered in mud and smelled like the sewer and he would have described it as her 'earthy, natural scent' at this point.

So he supposed his descriptions were biased at this point.

"I missed you." He murmured. Somehow the words lost meaning when spoken aloud. He heard Katara chuckle a bit, though it sounded a bit choked-up and muffled through his thick Earth Kingdom garments.

"You died." She whispered.

This time, it was his turn to chuckle, though it sounded a lot more light hearted than he felt. "Sorry" he murmured.

She pulled back, leaving the Fire Nation Prince feeling a bit bereft, though she didn't go far- barely a foot.

Her trembling hand reached up to cup his cheek. "I thought you were dead, Zuko." She whispered. "They said you _died_!"

Zuko would have smirked if not for the severity of the moment. But instead, he bit his lip, willing himself to stay strong. If it was this hard for him to believe he was here with her, then he could only imagine what it would be like for Katara. He nodded numbly. "Yes." He confirmed, "But I came back… it was the only way…" he trailed of as his voice choked on him. He furrowed his brows. He had struggled to think of what he would say when he saw her again, and one would think that after six months apart, he would have the speech planned, rehearsed and on palm cards. But as nothing ever came easy for Zuko, he had nothing to go with.

o.o.o

As was becoming a regular gesture for the Tribe Master, Rune ran his hand through his hair and sighed. He had been working himself into an early grave in the last few days and Ila had finally convinced him to take a break. But, as luck would have it, Rune had been unable to sleep for more than a few hours and Ila had forbidden him from leaving his room until breakfast… which he roughly estimated to be about four hours.  
Luckily, Ila had not known about the box of Sigrun's private scrolls Rune had stored in his room. Rune deliberated on risking his sisters wrath for all but a moment before dismissing his indecision.  
These scrolls contained some of the most private and classified dealings, treaties and decisions of the Tribe which even the Tribe Master's most trusted advisor didn't have access to. It was safer that way.  
Almost as an afterthought Rune deliberated a moment on his father's assassin- of whom they had never caught. It was frustrating, but nothing had turned up no matter how thorough they had been. Perhaps these scrolls could help. Funny he hadn't thought of looking through them before.  
A number of the scrolls sported tags and labels indicating tedious Tribe dealings with various nations. Being part of the White Lotus allowed them to deal with many of the cities and towns in the remaining nations. Tossing aside scrolls he deemed too boring to read, Rune quickly found the bottom of the box.  
Intent of starting at least one of the boring parchments, Rune randomly snatched one from the clutter beside him, promising himself he would read this one, no matter how dull it may sound.

'_Tribe Master Genealogy.'_ He groaned. _Great._

As a boy, he had studied his ancestors and learnt of their mistakes, successes, and deaths during their time as Tribe Master. But staying true to his promise to himself , Rune opened the scroll and began to read. The scroll, being rather large, would take him a while to complete, though he could always continue some other time.  
For the most part, Rune skimmed the beginning. It looked exactly the same as the scrolls he had learnt off as a boy, nothing new. An hour or so later, he reached where the teaching scrolls had left off. Strangely, it was just over a third of the way through. Curiosity getting the better of him, Rune unwound the scroll another few feet.

'_The Lineage of the Tribe Master Heirs.'_ It was bizarre to think it had never crossed his mind that there would be more… it really was too easy to memorise all that stuff as a child. And he knew every royal line had one of these scrolls stored in a safe location. Row upon row of small brown thumb prints taken from the heirs as infants lined the scroll. Occasionally, there would be an adult print where the child in question had not been able to become Tribe Master and another had to take their place. Those who had, placed their signature between the print and name on the day they became Tribe Master. Unfurling the scrolls further, Rune looked for him own print. Logically speaking he would be the last print on the scroll. If nothing else, he could sign his name, making him the official Tribe Master.

However, when he reached the end of the imprints, he saw not one, but two unsigned prints. Backtracking, Rune saw that Sigrun had signed his name under his own, and Runes own print was the second to last. Perhaps he had named Ila as an heir just in case? It was not unheard of, but fairly uncommon. Next to Sigrun's print, he saw his own and quickly signed under it, forever marking him in the lineage of Tribe Master's. Again, he looked to the last print, a small thumb print, much less faded than his own.

He had never heard of this child.  
"Mahe", he rolled the name around on his tongue, getting a feel for it. Well, he could accurately presume the child was a girl. And she wasn't very old, judging by the solid black of her print. His was faded already to the familiar brown script one often saw in scrolls or on papers a few years old.  
He knew from his studies as a boy that ink, when first applied was a blue-black colour. Soon after, the ink was a solid black, taking a few years to fade to a brown colour. This print was definitely solid black with no indication of fading. It was very recent.

Strange that he had never heard of her before if she was to succeed him over Ila. He had no children, and now had no plans for them with Chace gone.  
According to the White Lotus Society, Ila's first born would have been his heir. And she certainly didn't have any children. That he knew for sure.  
It couldn't be Sigrun's as Ila, been the older girl, would have still been his next heir, not Mahe.

Sitting back, Rune tried to think of who or what could help him figure out who she was. He momentarily though of calling Ila in to help, but then she would find out about his secret stash of scrolls and would probably turn his room up-side-down looking for any other hidden reserves. Not that he had many things in his room at the moment anyway. It was pretty bare as he had been too busy catching up on his paper work to move in properly. In fact, now that his mind was on the matter, he had only been in this room to claim it… make sure he knew where he would be sleeping in case he ever got to sleep in a bed again.  
Hn. What to do?

On a whim, Rune grabbed a random scroll from the clutter on the floor around him and roughly unrolled it to the end, lightly skimming it as he went.

Nothing there.  
He picked up another, repeating the process.

Nothing.

And another.

Nothing.

Nothing.

By the time Rune had speed skimmed through all the scrolls he was slightly more than frustrated. Nothing was showing up. Standing, Rune snatched up the empty box and threw it towards the nearest wall. Of course, the box being made of wood, although fairly light, didn't make it the whole way and crashed into the floor.  
Rune winced at the ruckus he had just made… hopefully Ila wouldn't have heard that.

The Tribe Master rubbed a weary hand over his eyes. He really shouldn't take his frustrations out on a box, of all things. Oddly, a small thump soon followed the crash of the box... perplexed, Rune once again picked up the box and set it upright.

On the floor where the box had landed was a leather bound tome. It was even weirder that it was an actual book, rather than a scroll. Despite the concept of books being around for years, few people bothered with them and had stuck to the traditional use of scrolls, which were easier to transport and faster to produce.  
Mostly, books were used for personal use within the Tribe.

Carefully, Rune opened the book to the first page. Wedged in there was a slip of parchment containing a small letter addressed to Rune.  
The letter was written in Sigrun's flawless kanji, making Rune somewhat reluctant to read the letter. Though his curiosity got the better of him and Rune began to read.

'_Dear Son,_

_I suppose congratulations are in order, considering you will not have the opportunity to read this note until after I am dead and you have become the Tribe Master. I know you will do a good job leading the Tribe after I have left it, you have shown over again that you are capable.  
Unfortunately you will come across secrets I have kept from you soon enough, and I feel the need to warn you of such events. I will not make excuses for myself, but leading the Tribe often requires you to push your personal feelings aside and do what's best for everyone else. Self sacrifice, Rune, is part of being a great leader.  
However, I would like to encourage you to keep perspective on your actions. I sacrificed many things, and I am not one to regret, as I know I did the right thing for the Tribe, but I also wasted a lot of time deliberating and strategising everything. While I was doing this, I lost focus and had to sacrifice more than originally estimated. Make a decision, and stick to it.  
One such time, I sacrificed much more than personal items.  
There is no easy way to tell you this, Rune, but when Chace miscarried, it was part of a series of attacks that have been happening since I became Tribe Master. She was slipped a herb(Pennyroyal) to induce labour. I am unsure how this happened, but it was one of many attacks on the Tribe Heirs over the past two decades.  
Fortunately, we were able to save Chace(which you knew) and the baby at the time(which was not disclosed to yourself). The child, a girl, was sent to the person I trust most for treatment. I regret not being able to tell you both this, Rune, but as far as the attackers knew, she was dead. At the risk of sounding callous, Chace's death slowed their attacks for the time being, and Mahe is relatively safe where she is. They are getting closer to me now- especially with the Prince close by, which has prompted me to write this down before you read my journal here, as the former is factual and may seem cold to read for I tried to detach my feelings from the facts while writing.  
Your child has survived, Rune. She was very sickly for quite some time, but has pulled through the worst of it and has been developing normally with regular treatment. She is now approaching six months of age, though I suppose if she had been born normally, she would only be three and a half months._'

At this point, Rune had to sit back and take a deep, deep breath.  
_I… I just… _Here, Rune lost his train of thought. It was unbelievable, inconceivable and just…just… amazing.

He had a daughter. He and _Chace_ had a daughter together. A beautiful little girl, a mini Chace. She would grow up to look exactly like Chace had, he was sure.

She would grow up to be the next Tribe heir.

'_I vaguely remembered Ila saying how unfair it was that Chace wanted to name her daughter Mahe, when it was also Ila's favourite name, so I took the liberty and named her. Where she is, no one knows who her parents are, though she is well protected by the carer she is with.  
When it is deemed safe, I wish for you to retrieve her, Rune. Bring her to my grave site, would you? I would love to see my first grandchild. And anymore that come along.  
I wish you the best of luck in the future, Rune. I will watch you, Ila and little Mahe for as long as I can from wherever I end up._

_Sigrun._'

Rune sat back against the foot of his bed.

_Who father trusted most…_

It took only a few minutes of thinking for Rune to realise exactly who would know where Mahe was. He wanted to see her, hold her. Though he didn't have a clue how to act around children.

He quickly stuffed the letter into his pocket, wrenched the door open and raced out of his room.

"Ila!" he bellowed down the hall as he knocked harshly on her door. "Ila! Open up!"

When she didn't respond quickly enough for his liking, Rune threw open her door, barging into her room, disregarding the early hour.  
His sister stared at him as he rummaged around looking for her knapsack, more than confused and still very drowsy. "Rune?" she questioned, "What in the world are-"

"No talking," he ordered, finally finding the elusive knapsack and throwing it in her face. "No talking. Just pack. We are heading out in an hour."

Ila blinked as she watched her suddenly completely insane brother race out her door, supposedly back to his own room.

She shook her head, deciding it wasn't worth thinking about and proceeded to get ready. When Rune was like this it was often best to just go with it.

o.o.o

Katara really didn't know what to think. Zuko was here. He was with her. He was holding her.

He wasn't _dead_.

He _wasn't_ dead.

She really couldn't care less about why he died, how he died or who brought him back. All that mattered was that he was here now.

A loud cheer went up from the celebrating Northern Water Tribe villagers, reminding her that she wasn't far from where she had been celebrating not long ago.  
She looked around for Novik, but couldn't site the Water Tribe warrior anywhere. In a way she was glad he had left her alone for the moment, but she would have liked to be able to introduce him to Zuko.

Katara looked up at him, her hand still resting on his cheek. It was hard to believe that this wouldn't all the some crazy dream or wishful thinking. But if it was, she was going to enjoy it as much as possible. She smiled at him.

"This isn't a dream, right?"

The Prince shook his head. "No."

She nodded. "Good. Else I don't think I'd be able to fit everything in."

She wanted to tell him everything she had done, everything that had happened.

Zuko smirked at her. "Well, I've got two weeks here before I have to head back." Placing his arm firmly around her waist, he started walking towards the celebration. "We've got time."

Katara returned the gesture. "I don't know where to start." She admitted. "So much has happened since you…" She bit her lip, looking away.

They walked in silence for a while. However, unlike when it was silent with Sokka, or Rune, this one was comfortable. Nothing needed to be said. They merely basked in each other's presence, drinking it in.

Strangely, it was Zuko who broke the silence. "Where is the rest of the Gaang?" he questioned, quickly scanning the area for overprotective brothers and jealous Avatars. "I didn't hear that the Avatar would be coming…"

Katara shook her head. "They aren't here. I left them not long after you were taken to prison."

"Ah." _Well, that explained it_, he supposed. "What happened after I left, then?" he questioned, wanting to just listen to her voice, reassure himself she was here with him. And he did, though he also listened to her story as she told him, sometimes in great detail, what she had done in the last six months.

o.o.o

Within the hour, both Rune and Ila were mounted on ostrich horses and heading off into the sunrise. The air was crisp and dew was glistening on the small tufts of grass as they raced through the northern Earth Kingdom. The rising sun cast a soft orange glow across the land, the effect would have been magical had Ila had time to admire it. She shot an irritated glance to her brother.

"Where are we going, Rune?"

"To the White Lotus."

"…but isn't he in the Northern Water Tribe?" she frowned.

Rune huffed. "Give me some credit, Ila. By the time we get there, he would be leaving if not already gone. We are going to his Earth Kingdom home."

"Ah. But why?"

Rune didn't answer right away. "… because I need to retrieve something that was taken from me."

Ila quirked an eyebrow at him. _Cryptic much?!_ But left him alone for the time being. She would find out soon enough.

o.o.o

Rune rode in silence, barely acknowledging the presence of his sister, his thoughts fixed on his daughter, trying to find a way to keep her both with him and safe.

However, short of death there was nothing he could think of.

_Erm… not that that would work either…_ he reminded himself.

Though, if they had managed to kill off the Fire Nation Prince, why couldn't he kill off himself? He pulled his ostrich horse to a halt, causing Ila to shoot past him and had to double back.

"What the hell, Rune?"

"Dismount." He ordered. She frowned at him.

"You are being awful pushy lately, brother." At his glare, she quickly dismounted. "Tell me what this is about!"

Rune scowled at her. "It's better you don't know yet, Ila. But we have to die now." He started looking around the sparsely vegetated Earth Kingdom country side. Yep, this was a good a place as any…

Ila gaped at him. "What?"

He grunted back. He really wasn't in the mood for repeating himself. And there wasn't a damn animal in sight.

Irritated, the Tribe Master drew his sword from its sheath and started towards his sister. "We need to die, Ila. I'm just making sure it's done thoroughly."

Ila backed away. "Ah, Rune? I'm sure nothing too drastic has happened. We should talk. With Iroh!" he continued towards her.

"Trust me Ila. Close your eyes. It will be over in a second." Her eyes widened in fear before she squeezed them shut, wishing she could also block her ears.

And with that he brought his sword down harshly, instantly severing the jugular. Ila screamed.

o.o.o

Katara shivered in the chilly night breeze. Her left side was snugly and warm, being pressed against the Fire Nation Prince. Her right side, however, was freezing despite her winter clothes. She shot an annoyed glance to Zuko's sleeping face. How he managed to get to sleep, she would never know.  
They had walked around for hours, just talking, learning what had happened while they were separated. Eventually the young couple had wandered back to where the main festivities were winding down, the villagers starting to leave as the temperature dropped. They had sat down on one of the benches out of the wind, but it was still cold.

Katara was trying hard to hold a grudge against this 'Tribe Master' that Zuko told her about. But when Zuko had mentioned how horrid he had been treated in prison, she could only be grateful to them.

He hadn't been expressive while he was describing his injuries as she had expected, rather, he was clinical and detached. Which, somehow, made it worse.

However, she had to disagree with the whole 'death' thing they pulled. Surely there had been a better way to get him out… a less destructive way…? She had seen the prison after Zuko had been busted out, and it hadn't been pretty. All those other people who had died just so the Tribe could get Zuko out. And there had been the correct amount of heads for them to be able to say Zuko was definitely dead. She had asked Zuko and he just said they wouldn't tell him where the body had come from. If she ever met these 'Tribe' folk, she would have a bone to pick with them about acting a bit less barbaric.

She snuggled closer into Zuko, wrapping his cloak tighter around them. She couldn't really complain about the result, though.

o.o.o

The dawn came quicker than Katara had expected, washing both her and Prince Zuko in gentle hues of gold and white. She had hardly slept at all, and the few times she had managed to get to sleep, she had woken fitfully after only minutes. She had contented herself by watching Zuko as he slept.

Zuko's hair ruffled in the morning breeze, his dark locks dancing around his face. It had grown since she had last seen him. She supposed he would need it longer to be able to bear the diadem as Fire Lord.  
_Mmm… Zuko with long hair… _She shivered with excitement at the mental image she got with that thought as she ran her hand through his hair. Pushing it back off his face she placed a kiss on his forehead.

For all their talking last night, they hadn't kissed once, she realised. Looking at his face, her eyes were drawn to his lips. She hadn't felt them on her own in so long, and now that she could, she wondered if it would be the same.

She loved him so much, but both had gone through some considerable changes in the past months and some things just changed.  
She was a year older, for one. Katara had celebrated her birthday not long before the Lunar Festival had begun. She was now sixteen years old, practically a grown woman.

And Zuko would soon turn eighteen.  
Actually, now that he attention was drawn to it, Zuko had never told her when his birthday was, and she had never asked.

_Huh, gonna have to fix that… _she mused. And when she found out there would be a party that no one would want to miss.

Her hand moved from his hair to cup his cheek. Her thumb ghosted across his lips. Slowly, ever so slowly, Katara leaned across Zuko, lowering her face to his.  
At first her lips only just brushed his, the chaste kiss revived feelings of longing and love in her she had thought she had buried along with her heart when he died. She kissed him again, just for the feeling of being near him, being able to touch him again.

He stirred, his brow furrowed endearingly as he moved towards consciousness. She pressed her lips to his once again, harder this time. He responded beautifully, an arm wrapping itself around her before he realised what he was doing. His eyes flickered open before promptly shutting again, the Prince revelling in the gesture. He tilted his head, opening his mouth to further explore hers.  
They both pulled back, breathing heavily.

Katara offered a tentative smile. Breaking eye contact, she snuggled back into Zuko's side, his arms pulling her firmly to him.

"Katara!" A loud- _very_ loud- masculine voice called out. Katara scrunched her eyes shut and buried herself deeper into Zuko's side.

"Go away, Hahn." She grumbled at Zuko's amused chuckle. The Fire Nation Prince hauled her up, keeping her close as they turned to said Water Tribe warrior.

Hahn approached swiftly, bowing to the pair. "It is good to see you are safe, Master Katara. Chief Arnook was quite worried when you didn't go home. Until Novik informed him of where you were, of course."

Katara blushed at this. Of course Novik wouldn't have said anything suggestive about them to the Chief… but it was more the thought of what they could have been doing which caused her cheeks to flame.

Hahn turned his attention to Zuko. "Prince Zuko- I am to escort you to General Iroh's tent as soon as you are ready."

Zuko looked down at the snow beneath his feet. Funny how this whole place is covered in several feet of snow, yet he only sunk an inch or two into it… There was so much more he could see, feel and experience, yet because of his own lack of body weight, he would only ever be familiar with this top layer of snow.

He frowned. He really needed to stop trying to think like Uncle. It didn't suit him. "Yes. Now, if you don't mind."

He said this to Han, but Katara could feel the questions also directed at her. She squeezed his hand in reassurance. Whatever he needed to do.

The Water Tribe warrior took them to the outskirts of the Northern Water Tribe's village. As they approached, Katara could make out Master Pakku, Jeong Jeong, Piando and King Bumi waiting for them. Hahn left them at that point, and the young couple followed the four masters into the camp.

"Well, here we are." Proclaimed Bumi. "Welcome to old people camp!"

**A/N: Okay, this, I believe is the second to last chapter. One more, then the epilogue. I am starting Uni in three weeks, and moving in one, so I don't think I will have time to write out the rest of this. I am thinking of doing a sequel, though the main focus won't be Zutara (cries) as Rune needs a bit of a (better) ending. I have left this story so that I can do both a prequel and a sequel if I feel like it. :P**

**Oh yeah! Does anyone know whether the past tense of 'sink' is 'sunk' or 'sank'…? Spell check didn't know… so yeah...**

**Read and review!! And have a brilliant week.**

'**till next time! Cheerio!**

**Chip~**


	15. Authors Note

_Try as hard as we may for perfection, the net result of our labour is an amazing variety of imperfectness. We are surprised at our own versatility in being able to fail in so many different ways.  
- Samuel McChord Crothers_

**Authors Note:**

**Hey everyone!**

**Firstly, sorry about the double alert for this note, it has been so long since I've uploaded anything, I forgot how to do it!! LOL. Uni has taken over my life and despite the low contact hours I have with my course, I spend most of my days studying while slurping instant noodles left handed... which can be a whole world of disturbing in itself... heh heh... :S**

**Secondly, I am putting this story on Hiatus for an unknown length of time. To tell the truth, I have lost nearly all interest in the ATLA world and consequently in this story. However, it pains me to think that there are only TWO chapters left.... and it seems like such a waste to delete to whole story :S So I'm not going to. It WILL be finished one day!**

**Thirdly, its killing me slowly and painfully to officially put up this notice as I know it is one of the most frustrating things as a reader, and for that I am truly sorry!! :/ Yes... I have joined the Dark Side of authors who don't finish their stories :(**

**Fourthly (err... spelling?! lol), I HAVE promised myself that I will write no more multichaptered fics until I have finished this one. However, I 'accidently' (or, perhaps, 'deliberately') gave myself some loopholes in the contract and, as such, you may see some one shots from the this side of Fan Fiction in the future.**

**Fifthly, I never actually thought I would get this far through Corollary... in fact, when I started it, I only had 6-ish chapters for the whole thing, and they died in the middle of it... not that you would have know until the end... anyone seen Atonement?? Yeah, that's what it was gonna be like. Thusly, i am very impressed with my otherwise dead imagination :|**

**Once again, I am terribly sorry, but I didnt want to keep anyone hanging more than I already have :)**

**Have a brilliant, brilliant day!!**

**Cheers,**

**Chip~**


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